ANN/THE STAR – Rosmah Mansor’s money laundering and tax evasion trial at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was heard before a new judge yesterday.
Judge K Muniandy replaced Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, who was promoted to the Court of Appeal recently.
During the proceedings, Rosmah’s lawyer Geethan Ram Vincent informed the court that they were withdrawing their application to disqualify senior deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram, given that the former Federal Court judge died in late January this year following a lung infection.
Since the matter was not objected to by Deputy Public Prosecutor Poh Yih Tinn, the court then struck out the application.
Previously, the court fixed 15 days beginning from May 12 this year for the trial. Apart from May 12, the court also set June 28 and 30; July 6, 7, 27, 28 and 31; August 1, 2, 11, 24 and 25; and September 7 and 8, 2023.
At the proceedings yesterday, the July 27 trial date was vacated as Geethan Ram would be occupied with a Court of Appeal matter on that day.
Meanwhile, Poh informed the court that the prosecution will call 15 witnesses.
Rosmah, 70, is facing 12 money laundering charges involving MYR7,097,750, and five counts of failure to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board.
The wife of former prime minister Najib Razak allegedly committed the offences at Affin Bank Berhad, Bangunan Getah Asli branch, Jalan Ampang between December 4, 2013 and June 8, 2017, and at LHDN Kompleks Bangunan Kerajaan, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim between May 1, 2014 and May 1, 2018.
