EXCLUSIVE: Rosmah and former aide Rizal to be charged on Thursday

PETALING JAYA: Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor will face fresh charges in court on Thursday (Nov 15), together with her former aide Datuk Rizal Mansor.

Sources said six charges related to the RM1.25bil solar hybrid project for rural schools in Sarawak will be brought against the duo, involving an amount of RM6.5mil.

Rosmah, who is the wife of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, will not be arrested prior to the court case as what has happened earlier last month.

She has been told to go to the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex herself at 8.30am on Thursday.

On Oct 3, Rosmah was placed under arrest while giving a statement at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Putrajaya.

She was slapped with 17 counts of money laundering at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court the next day.

Meanwhile, Rosmah's lawyer Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent confirmed that she will be charged on Thursday but they were still in the dark over what the charges were related to.

The Star in an exclusive report on Monday, reported that Rosmah and Rizal will be charged in court over the solar hybrid project.

The project courted controversy when Sarawak Report alleged in June that the contract was awarded to Bintulu-based company Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd - a transportation services company - on the "direct" order of Najib.

Jepak Holdings was appointed at the end of 2016 for the supply of diesel, repair of generators and to provide solar hybrid systems for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.

To date, none of the schools have it.

Rizal was arrested by the MACC in July following allegations that he solicited money from Jepak Holdings over the project.

However, it is believed that the money did not change hands.

In June, the graft busters also arrested a company director, managing director and a lawyer over the controversial project.

The MACC began investigating the billion ringgit project in April, a month before the general election.