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PUTRAJAYA – The apex court has set March 24 to hear Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s bid to remove Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram as the lead prosecutor and nullify her graft trial relating to the RM1.25 billion hybrid photovoltaic solar system project in Sarawak.
Deputy public prosecutor Poh Yih Tinn said the hearing date was set by Federal Court deputy registrar Siti Hajar Mustaffa during the online case management today.
“Both parties have to file their submissions on March 9.”
The proceedings were also attended by Datuk Jagjit Singh who represented Rosmah.
Meanwhile, her hearing is slated to continue at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on January 10 with her husband Datuk Seri Najib Razak taking the stand.
Last month, Rosmah failed her bid to nullify her corruption trial at the Court of Appeal.
Judge Datuk Hanipah Farikullah also dismissed the defence’s appeal to recuse Sri Ram from leading the prosecution in the case.
“It is our considered view that the high court, in the exercise of the criminal jurisdiction, has no jurisdiction and power to grant the reliefs sought by the appellant.
“The reliefs sought are purely declaratory orders specifically provided for under the Specific Relief Act 1950. Accordingly, both of the appeals are hereby dismissed,” she said.
Rosmah was appealing the high court’s decision on September 24 to throw out her bid to nullify her entire corruption case and to be acquitted of all charges, and disqualify Sri Ram as the lead prosecutor.
The basis of Rosmah’s application is the validity of Sri Ram’s letter of appointment as the senior deputy public prosecutor.
At the time, high court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan had ruled that Sri Ram’s appointment by then attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas in August 2018 is valid.
Rosmah is facing three separate charges for alleged corruption in securing a RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project to equip 369 schools in rural Sarawak with solar hybrid power.
For the first, she is charged with soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving bribes of RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd’s former managing director Saidi Abang Samsuddin through her former special officer Datuk Rizal Mansor.
For the second charge, Rosmah is alleged to have dishonestly received for herself RM1.5 million from Saidi for the same purpose at her residence in Jalan Langgak Duta, Taman Duta, on September 7, 2017.
Rosmah is also facing a third charge of accepting gratification of RM5 million from Saidi through Rizal for helping Jepak Holdings secure the same project on December 20, 2016, at the Seri Perdana residence in Putrajaya between January 2016 and September 2017. – The Vibes, January 7, 2022