ROSMAH Mansor has withdrawn her appeal to recuse High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, who is now a Court of Appeal judge, from hearing her money laundering and tax evasion case.

Based on the notice of discontinuance filed by Messrs Geethan Ram on March 1, Rosmah as the appellant withdrew the appeal, which was filed through a notice of appeal dated April 29, 2022.

The appeal was then deemed to have been dismissed as stipulated in Rule 73, Rules of the Court of Appeal 1994.

The appeal hearing of Rosmah, who is former prime minister Najib Razak’s wife, was scheduled for March 17 at the Court of Appeal.

Lawyer Geethan Ram Vincent, who represented Rosmah, confirmed the matter when contacted.

In November last year, a three-member panel at the Court of Appeal postponed the hearing of Rosmah’s appeal because the court wanted the defence and prosecution to file further submissions on whether it had the jurisdiction to hear the appeal.

Rosmah, 70, faces 12 charges of laundering RM7,097,750 and five charges of failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board (IRB).

The act was allegedly committed at Affin Bank Bhd, Bangunan Getah Asli Branch, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur – between December 4, 2013, and June 8, 2017 – and at IRB, Kompleks Bangunan Kerajaan, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim, Kuala Lumpur – from May 1, 2014, to May 1, 2018.

Earlier, the High Court set 15 days starting on May 12 this year for the trial of Rosmah’s money laundering and tax evasion case.

On September 1 last year, judge Zaini who is now a Court of Appeal judge found Rosmah guilty of three charges of corruption related to a solar hybrid project worth RM1.25 billion for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, and sentenced her to 10 years in prison and fined her RM970 million.

The court ordered Rosmah to be imprisoned for 30 years if she failed to pay the fine. However, it granted an application for a stay of execution of the prison sentence and fine, pending her appeal at the Court of Appeal. – Bernama, March 10, 2023.