KUALA LUMPUR (July 1) :The High Court has now fixed Sept 1 to deliver its verdict on Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's RM1.25 billion solar hybrid graft trial.

Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan initially fixed July 7 to deliver his decision.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Poh Yin Tinn confirmed the new date with theedgemarkets.com when contacted.

"The court is ready to deliver its decision in August but the only common [earliest] date for both parties is Sept 1," he said. 

The matter came up for case management before deputy registrar Catherine Nicholas on Friday (July 1).

Nicholas and Rosmah's counsel Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader also separately confirmed the new verdict date when contacted by theedgemarkets.com.

Rosmah, 70, is charged with soliciting a RM187.5 million bribe out of the RM1.25 billion project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, which was awarded to then Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin between January and April 2016 through her then aide Datuk Rizal Mansor.

The wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak also faces two charges of receiving a total of RM6.5 million — RM1.5 million and RM5 million from Saidi between Dec 20, 2016 and Sept 7, 2017 — at her official residence in Seri Perdana, Putrajaya and also her private residence in Jalan Langgak Duta.

She was ordered to enter her defence on Feb 21. Her graft trial began on Feb 6, 2020 and the prosecution took 34 days to put their case before her defence was called by Justice Zaini.

Among the witnesses who testified for the prosecution were former education minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, the ministry's secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamad, her successor Datuk Seri Alias Ahmad, Rizal, as well as Saidi and his former business partner Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah.

Rizal, an aide in the Prime Minister's Office during Najib's time, emerged as the crown witness in the case as he testified against Rosmah.

He was initially charged with graft along with Rosmah, but was acquitted when the charges against him were withdrawn on Jan 8, 2020 before the start of her trial.

Rizal was slapped with four charges of seeking and receiving bribes for himself and Rosmah amounting to RM5.5 million involving the project to supply and instal rural school solar energy in Sarawak. He was charged under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.

Rosmah's defence team had argued that despite not calling Najib as a defence witness, the defence had successfully raised reasonable doubt and hence she should be acquitted.

On the other hand, the prosecution said Rosmah's defence was just a bare denial and that the non-calling of her husband had affected her defence.

Rosmah last month also filed a judicial review against the Attorney-General's Chambers and senior DPP Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram from prosecuting her in the present trial. 

That application is fixed for hearing for leave on July 6. 

Justice Zaini had dismissed Rosmah's criminal application to remove Sri Ram from prosecuting her and the decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court last May 27.

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/decision-rosmahs-solar-hybrid-graft-trial-postponed-sept-1