Rosmah files bid to nullify her solar project corruption trial

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, who has been ordered to enter her defence on corruption charges relating to the RM1.25bil solar hybrid project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, has filed an application to declare the trial proceedings in the High Court so far as a nullity.

According to case papers made available to the media, her nullification application is centred around the validity of a letter appointing former Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram as ad-hoc Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) in the case.

She filed two separate affidavits in support of her application through her legal team Messrs Akberdin & Co at the High Court here Friday (May 7).

Rosmah, 69, also wants a declaration that she be acquitted of all three charges should the court rule that the proceeding was a mistrial.

A case management of the applications was fixed on Tuesday before High Court Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan who was the trial judge.

The application was filed after the Court of Appeal had, on April 8, allowed Rosmah's appeal to obtain a copy of Sri Ram's appointment letter after the prosecution conceding to provide it to the defence team.

Rosmah brought the matter up for appeal after the High Court dismissed her application for Sri Ram's appointment letter on Aug 19 last year.

The appointment letter was not dated on or before Nov 15, 2018, the day when Rosmah was charged in court, and was not signed by the then-attorney general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas.

Instead, the letter was dated July 8 last year and signed by the current Attorney General Tan Sri Idrus Harun.

On Feb 18, 2021, Judge Mohamed Zaini ordered Rosmah to enter her defence on all three corruption charges and fixed nine days, namely on June 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23 and July 12 and 15, to hear the evidence from Rosmah and other defence witnesses. – Bernama