‘No one saw me taking money’

Datin Seri Rosmah Mansur arriving at the KL court complex.

KUALA LUMPUR: Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s tears flowed freely as she addressed the High Court shortly after she was pronounced guilty on three corruption charges in the solar hybrid case.

Her voice breaking, she said: “Nobody saw me taking the money, nobody counted the money in front of me. Nobody saw me taking the money upstairs.

“But if that is the conclusion (of the court), tak apalah (let it be). I leave it to Allah. God will understand who is in the wrong and who is in the right. It will come out sooner or later.”

The 70-year-old had stood up from the dock to speak to the judge just after her lawyer Datuk Jagjit Singh had mitigated for a lenient sentence.

Filial daughter: Nooryana was at the Kuala Lumpur court to lend support to her mother, who was sentenced to 10 years jail. — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star

She began her unscripted speech by saying she was sad with the outcome of the trial but respected the court’s decision.

She said what happened to her was also done to her husband, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is now in Kajang Prison.

Rosmah said she was once the “first lady” and spoke about her achievements such as the Permata programme.

She said Permata had raised about RM22mil in funds while the Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers (Bakti), of which she was president, had some RM45mil.

“Never ever have I thought of squandering any money. Never ever have I touched a single sen from those foundations,” she said.

She denied knowing Jepak Holdings (which is said to have paid the bribes) and said it was her former aide Datuk Rizal Mansor who knew Jepak.

Rosmah also pleaded for the judge to show compassion.

“Be human about it. If it happens to me now, it can happen to all of you next time, your children, your grandchildren.

“You’ve done it to my husband and you want my family to suffer. We have suffered. I can tell you I have suffered. I am now the mother and father and everything else to the family,” she said.

Both Rosmah’s children with Najib – Nooryana Najwa and Norashman – were in court to support her.

After the trial ended, she did not stop to speak to reporters. Instead, she walked over to her car at the court complex’s entrance.

Appearing calm and composed, she stopped briefly to wave at members of the press before entering her vehicle.

Unlike in her husband’s Federal Court trial in Putrajaya, there were no large groups of supporters outside the court complex.