Kuala Lumpur, Oct 6 — It was an emotional day for Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor as she was overcome with emotion and broke down in tears while reading her 118-page witness statement during her graft trial at the high court today.
Towards the end of her statement, she teared up and questioned the lack of action by the prosecution involving five witnesses in her trial.
Rosmah said that the witnesses pushed all the blame on her in an effort to hide their shame and now they are going scot-free.
“This is an evil and cruel deed. It is malicious and selective prosecution against me and my family,” she was quoted as saying.
Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan later asked if she was okay.
“I’m sorry, Your Honour, I’ve gone through a lot,” she said.
Earlier, Rosmah said the prosecution was out of line in labeling her as having an “overbearing nature” and also having the “ability to influence decisions in the public sector”.
On Feb 18, Zaini also allowed the prosecution’s application to admit as evidence an audio recording purportedly of a conversation between her and husband Najib Razak over the 1MDB issue.
The recording would now entitle the court to evaluate Rosmah’s disposition like her overbearing nature as stated in the prosecution’s opening statement.
Earlier, the court had heard the first 10 seconds of the recording where Rosmah was heard telling Najib, “Can I advise you something?” with the former prime minister telling his wife that he needed to get into the car first.
Rosmah, the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak, was ordered by the high court on February 18 this year to enter her defense on three corruption charges.
Rosmah 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, as an inducement to help Jepak Holdings secure the hybrid photovoltaic solar system integrated project and maintenance and operation of genset/diesel for 369 rural schools in Sarawak worth RM1.25 billion through direct negotiation from the Education Ministry.
For the second charge, Rosmah was 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 also faces 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 her Seri Perdana residence in Putrajaya between January 2016 and September 2017.
The hearing before Zaini continues tomorrow.
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