PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court has set July 29 to hear Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's application to review the top court's earlier decision rejecting her appeal to recuse Datuk Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, who presided over and convicted her in the RM1.25bil solar hybrid project corruption case in 2022.
Rosmah's lawyer, Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader, when contacted by Bernama, confirmed that the date was fixed during case management before Federal Court deputy registrar Rohaiza Hamzah on Tuesday (April 14) via Zoom.
He also said the court had directed the defence to file its affidavit-in-reply by May 5, this year, while written submissions must be filed by July 14.
Also present during the case management were Rosmah's other lawyers, Datuk Jagjit Singh, Meor Hafiz Salehan, and Harel Nieryan, while Deputy Public Prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz appeared for the prosecution.
On March 3, this year, a Federal Court three-panel, comprising Justices Nordin Hassan, Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali and Azimah Omar dismissed Rosmah's appeal.
The court held that Mohamed Zaini (now a Court of Appeal judge) did not breach the Judges' Code of Ethics 2009 following allegations that a leaked draft judgment had been prepared by the research unit of the Kuala Lumpur High Court before he delivered his decision on Sept 1, 2022.
Rosmah's recusal application was dismissed by the High Court on Sept 1, 2022, and her appeal was also rejected by the Court of Appeal on Sept 17 last year.
Rosmah, 74, filed the recusal application at the eleventh hour, just before Judge Mohamed Zaini was set to deliver his decision on Sept 1, 2022, citing allegations that a draft judgment had been prepared by a third party and leaked before its official release.
On the same day, Rosmah, wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was convicted of corruption over the RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.
She was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment and fined RM970mil, with an additional 30-year prison term should she fail to pay the fine.
Subsequently, the High Court granted her a stay of execution for both the jail term and fine pending her appeal.
Rosmah was charged with soliciting RM187.5mil and two charges of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5mil from former Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin. - Bernama
