Rosmah Mansor looked distressed after she was told to enter her defense for the three graft charges linked to a solar energy company, according to her lawyer Jagjit Singh today.
The lawyer was speaking to reporters outside of court following the hearing, where Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan ruled that the prosecution had proven a prima facie case against the wife of former premier Najib Razak. She was accused of soliciting bribes worth RM187.5 million (about US$46 million) from Jepak Holdings to help the company secure a billion-ringgit project involving hundreds of schools.
“She was frankly, emotionally upset and distressed,” the lawyer said when asked about Rosmah’s reaction to the judge’s ruling. She did not speak in court.
Rosmah, 70, also faced two other charges of allegedly receiving RM1.5 million and RM5 million between Dec. 20, 2016 and Sep. 7, 2017 at her homes in Seri Perdana, Putrajaya, and Jalan Langgak Duta, respectively.
According to the judge, the prosecution had “adduced credible evidence” to prove the offenses, warranting a conviction if Rosmah did not rebut.
“For these reasons, this court called upon the accused to enter her defense.” the judge told the court today.
Jagjit denied on behalf of his client that she had solicited or pocketed any money from Jepak Holdings, pushing the blame on Rosmah’s former aide Rizal Mansor instead.
“There was no soliciting by her. It was done by a third person, and he has admitted to being a corrupted person and receiving money,” Jagjit said. That third person was Rizal, who admitted to receiving RM1 million from the solar energy company in September.
“The money was not delivered to her [Rosmah], it was never received by her. It was all accepted by Rizal,” the lawyer added.
The trial for Rosmah’s defence will begin June 9.
Other stories to check out:
Of bribery and cybertroopers: Trial reveals what Rosmah Mansor spent her money on
‘This is not the end’: Najib Razak’s daughter on her dad’s verdict, jail sentencing
Najib Razak guilty in 1MDB trial involving transfer of US$10 million
