Rosmah graft trial decision now on Sept 1

KUALA LUMPUR: Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor (pic) will know on Sept 1 her fate in her corruption trial involving a RM1.25bil solar hybrid project in Sarawak.

High Court judge Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, who had been due to deliver his decision on Thursday, will now do so in September.

The July 7 date was vacated during case management before deputy registrar Catherine Nicholas.

Rosmah’s lawyer Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader, who met the media after case management, said the court had written to parties on June 28 for them to appear before the deputy registrar yesterday.

Rosmah was exempted from attending.

“No reason was given (for the rescheduling),” Akberdin said.

Deputy public prosecutor Poh Yih Tinn confirmed the new date.

He said Justice Mohamed Zaini wanted a date in August but the parties could only agree to a common date in September.

Rosmah’s defence trial concluded on Feb 23 with 25 witnesses – 23 from the prosecution and two from the defence including Rosmah.

The trial lasted 42 days.

On Feb 18 last year, the High Court ordered Rosmah to enter her defence on all three corruption charges involving the solar hybrid project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak after finding that the prosecution had succeeded in proving a prima facie case against her.

Rosmah, 70, faces a charge of soliciting RM187.5mil and two charges of accepting bribes amounting to RM6.5mil from the former managing director of Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd, Saidi Abang Samsudin.

The bribe was allegedly received through her former special officer Datuk Rizal Mansor as a reward to help Jepak Holdings obtain the Integrated Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Hybrid System Project as well as genset/diesel maintenance and operations for 369 schools worth RM1.25bil through direct negotiations from the Education Ministry.