Rosmah in unusual face-off with DPPs in graft trial
Rosmah Mansor being greeted by friends as she arrives for her trial at the Kuala Lumpur court complex. She had to confront eight DPPs later. (Bernama pic)
KUALA LUMPUR: It was a confrontation with a difference at the corruption trial of Rosmah Mansor when the wife of the former prime minister went up against several DPPs today.
Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Gopal Sri Ram told all eight DPPs assisting him in the trial to stand before Rosmah after she claimed that her ex-aide Rizal Mansor had conspired with the prosecution to file false charges against her.
Calling the DPPs up one by one to face her, Sri Ram then asked Rosmah whether she had any quarrel with them.
Rosmah replied in the negative as each DPP stood before her.
Sri Ram: I put it to you that there is therefore no basis to say Rizal conspired with the prosecution to implicate you.
Rosmah: I disagree.
Rosmah then asked: What about you Datuk Seri (Sri Ram)?
Sri Ram: I am not from the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
(Rosmah had earlier filed an application to disqualify Sri Ram, a former judge who’s back to practising law, saying his appointment as an ad-hoc DPP was against the law. The High Court dismissed it and the matter is on appeal).
Earlier, Rosmah said she had recommended a Datukship from Pahang for Rizal because she “pitied him”.
The wife of former prime minister Najib Razak said she had “mentioned” Rizal’s application to the then Pahang state secretary.
“He got his Datukship from Pahang. I pitied him and that is why I mentioned it to the state secretary,” she said during cross examination by Sri Ram.
Sri Ram: Was your recommendation accepted?
KUALA LUMPUR: It was a confrontation with a difference at the corruption trial of Rosmah Mansor when the wife of the former prime minister went up against several DPPs today.
Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Gopal Sri Ram told all eight DPPs assisting him in the trial to stand before Rosmah after she claimed that her ex-aide Rizal Mansor had conspired with the prosecution to file false charges against her.
Calling the DPPs up one by one to face her, Sri Ram then asked Rosmah whether she had any quarrel with them.
Rosmah replied in the negative as each DPP stood before her.
Sri Ram: I put it to you that there is therefore no basis to say Rizal conspired with the prosecution to implicate you.
Rosmah: I disagree.
Rosmah then asked: What about you Datuk Seri (Sri Ram)?
Sri Ram: I am not from the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
(Rosmah had earlier filed an application to disqualify Sri Ram, a former judge who’s back to practising law, saying his appointment as an ad-hoc DPP was against the law. The High Court dismissed it and the matter is on appeal).
Earlier, Rosmah said she had recommended a Datukship from Pahang for Rizal because she “pitied him”.
The wife of former prime minister Najib Razak said she had “mentioned” Rizal’s application to the then Pahang state secretary.
“He got his Datukship from Pahang. I pitied him and that is why I mentioned it to the state secretary,” she said during cross examination by Sri Ram.
Sri Ram: Was your recommendation accepted?
Rosmah: Perhaps, because I was the prime minister’s wife then.
Rosmah also said she discovered that Rizal was “incompetent” as he was unable to write quality speeches to be delivered at important events.
“I was dissatisfied with his work as the writings did not reflect the aspirations of a prime minister’s wife,” she said.
However, Rosmah said she was unable to remove Rizal as he was under Siti Azizah Sheikh Abod, a special officer in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Rosmah also said she was not at Seri Perdana in Putrajaya when Rizal is said to have delivered two suitcases containing RM5 million in cash.
“I was over at another place in Kuala Lumpur that day,” she said.
Sri Ram then referred her to her witness’ statement.
Sri Ram: Can you confirm that in the statement, nowhere is it mentioned that you were not in Seri Perdana?
Rosmah also said she discovered that Rizal was “incompetent” as he was unable to write quality speeches to be delivered at important events.
“I was dissatisfied with his work as the writings did not reflect the aspirations of a prime minister’s wife,” she said.
However, Rosmah said she was unable to remove Rizal as he was under Siti Azizah Sheikh Abod, a special officer in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Rosmah also said she was not at Seri Perdana in Putrajaya when Rizal is said to have delivered two suitcases containing RM5 million in cash.
“I was over at another place in Kuala Lumpur that day,” she said.
Sri Ram then referred her to her witness’ statement.
Sri Ram: Can you confirm that in the statement, nowhere is it mentioned that you were not in Seri Perdana?
Rosmah: Yes, not stated.
Rosmah is accused of soliciting RM187.5 million from former Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin, through Rizal, as an inducement to help the company secure a solar project for rural schools in Sarawak.
She is also accused of receiving bribes amounting to RM5 million from Saidi through Rizal at Seri Perdana in Putrajaya on Dec 20, 2016.
Rosmah is said to have received another RM1.5 million from Saidi at Jalan Langgak Duta here on Sept 7, 2017.
The hearing before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan was adjourned to Oct 21.
KT is like Trump, keep clinging to the fairy tale of Rosmah-Jib clean as a whistle, keep blaming Mahathir persecution of them.
ReplyDeleteI'll inform FMT of your outrage at its reporting of this article - how dare FMT?
DeleteThat posted photo of Mahathir , linking Rosmah's prosecution to Mahathir, is KT's work, don't blame FMT for something they DID NOT do.
Delete