FORMER prime minister’s wife Rosmah Mansor is expected to return to court in June and July for her corruption trial involving a RM1.25 billion project to install solar energy systems in 369 schools in Sarawak.

The trial, which was initially scheduled to resume yesterday and today at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, has been vacated following the extension of the movement control order.

In a criminal trial, it is compulsory for the accused person to be present tin proceedings.

“The court has fixed June 9 to 11, July 6 till 9, July 13 till 16 and July 20 till 23 for the continuation of the trial,” deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib told Bernama via WhatsApp today.

The defence will continue to cross-examine the 12th prosecution witness, former Education Ministry (MOE) secretary-general Alias Ahmad when the trial commence before Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan. 

Rosmah, 68, who is the wife of Najib Razak, is facing a charge of soliciting RM187.5 million, and two charges of receiving a bribe of RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin through her then aide Rizal Mansor as gratification for helping the company secure the RM1.25 billion project.

She allegedly committed the offences at three places – Lygon Cafe in Sunway Putra Mall on  Jalan Putra, Kuala Lumpur; her house on Jalan Langgak Duta, Taman Duta, Kuala Lumpur, and at the Seri Perdana, Persiaran Seri Perdana, Precinct 10, Putrajaya between January 2016 and September 7, 2017.

Rosmah also faces 12 charges of money laundering involving RM7,097,750 and five charges of failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board. The trial is set for May.

Meanwhile, the trial of Najib for corruption and money laundering charges involving RM2.3 billion of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds has been postponed to May 13. 

Ahmad Akram said the trial was supposed to resume yesterday (April 29) before high court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.

The court had set March 2-13, 19-20, 23-27 and 30-31; April 1-30; and May 4-8, 11-22 inclusive of Fridays for the 1MDB trial.

Other dates fixed were the entire month of June, July, August, September and October, including Fridays.

When the hearing resumes, lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah is expected to continue with cross-examination of the ninth prosecution witness, former 1MDB chief executive officer Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, who has been on the stand since September 23 last year.

Najib, 67, faces four charges of abusing his position to obtain gratification totalling RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same money. – Bernama, April 30, 2020.