Rosmah Mansor will soon join his husband, ex-Malaysian PM Najib Razak in prison. Malaysia’s High Court found her guilty of corruption and will face a 10-year sentence in jail.
Rosmah Mansor, Found Guilty of Corruption
Former Malaysian First Lady Rosmah Mansor has been found guilty of lobbying a total of RM194 million in bribes in 2016. The objective of the solicitation is to help solar energy firm Jepak Holdings to acquire an RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project. Hundreds of schools in the Sarawak region will take advantage of the said venture.
According to High Court Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, the prosecution proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt. The judge still needs to declare his verdict.
Mansor pleaded not guilty to three charges of hustling for and obtaining pay-offs between 2016 and 2017. She faces charges that carry penalties that can reach up to 20 years. It comes along with a penalty of at least five-fold the amount of the fixes reaching to RM970 million (S$303 million).
Prosecutors stated that Mansor coveted a 187.5 million ringgit ($41.80 million). Moreover, she received 6.5 million ringgit from a company official that secured the project. The former first lady reasoned that she was only set up by her previous assistant. According to her, several government and company officials involved in the said project collaborated to frame her up.
She and his husband Najib faced reproach because of Mansor’s extravagant lifestyle. They are at the core of a sweeping investigation on corruption raised after Najib was ousted during the 2018 election.
Convicted But Bailable at RM2 Million
The court allows Mansor to go out on bail amounting to RM2 million. She was crying after addressing the court following the announcement of the verdict. If she neglects to pay the RM970 million penalty, she will have to serve additional 10 years in jail.
“I must admit that I’m very sad with what happened today,” she said. “Nobody saw me taking the money, nobody saw me counting the money… but if that’s the conclusion, I leave it to God,” said Mansor.
Her lawyer, Jagjit Singh denounced the court for such a fine that is exorbitant. According to him, the imposed penalty is unbelievable and the biggest in Malaysia’s legal history. Additionally, he said that the fine has come to almost RM1 billion and Mansor doesn’t have a revenue.
Mansor’s team will file for an appeal to the higher courts regarding the judge’s ruling to terminate the recusal application. Currently, she is facing 17 charges associated with money laundering and tax evasions. The amount involved totals RM7.1 million in a different ongoing trial.
Meanwhile, Najib started serving his 12-year imprisonment. Malaysia’s high court proved his conviction in case connected with a multibillion-dollar graft scandal concerning 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). The former Malaysian PM stays on trial linked to four other fraudulence cases.
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