ROSMAH Mansor’s money-laundering and tax evasion trial involving more than RM7 million will begin after the completion of her ongoing corruption case involving a solar hybrid project for rural schools in Sarawak.

High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, who is presiding over both trials, set December 2 for case management after deputy public prosecutor Poh Yih Tinn informed the court that the prosecution in Rosmah’s corruption trial is expected to complete its case by early November, at the latest.

Lawyer Geethan Ram Vincent, representing the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak, had earlier proposed that case management be fixed pending the completion of the solar hybrid trial.

“I’m proposing we come back before your lordship in December to allow time for submissions and decisions (on the solar hybrid trial),” he said when the matter came up for case management today.

Rosmah, 69, was exempted from attending the proceedings.

The corruption trial is due to continue next Monday with two more prosecution witnesses testifying.

Asked by Zaini whether the prosecution will be able to conclude the corruption trial by next week, Poh answered that they are confident of doing so, or at the latest by early November, as they are at the tail end of the case.

“Alright, we fix December 2 for case management,” said the judge.

Previously, the court had vacated the hearing of Rosmah’s case for money-laundering and tax evasion, which was earlier fixed to begin in May, to give priority to the solar hybrid trial.

On October 4, 2018,  Rosmah had pleaded not guilty in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to 12 counts of money-laundering involving RM7,097,750, and five counts for failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board.

The offences were allegedly committed in Kuala Lumpur between May 1, 2014 and May 1, 2018.

The charges for tax evasion made under Section  77(1) of the Income Tax Act 1967 required her to furnish returns of her income for the assessment year 2013 to 2017 to the IRB director-general on or before April 30, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 without reasonable excuse contrary to Section 112 of the law. – Bernama, September 30, 2020.