Court grants Rosmah's bid to postpone solar case appeal

The Court of Appeal today allowed Rosmah Mansor's application to postpone the appeal proceedings in her graft case involving a solar hybrid project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, which was scheduled to be heard on July 11.

Judge Azizah Nawawi, who led the three-member bench in a unanimous decision, said, this was the first time she asked for postponement due to her pending appeal to nullify the appointment of Gopal Sri Ram (now deceased) as the lead prosecutor in her case at the Federal Court. 

"Since the public prosecutor has no objection, we are inclined to allow the adjournment," said justice Azizah who sat with justices Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim and S M Komathy.

The court then fixed Sept 18 for case management.

Rosmah's appeal against her conviction, 10-year imprisonment and RM970 million fine for the corruption case was supposed to be heard for four days starting July 11.

Earlier, Rosmah's counsel Jagjit Singh submitted that the postponement was sought in good faith with no intent to delay the appeal.

He said the request for the postponement was to allow Rosmah's appeal at the Federal Court to be decided first.

Meanwhile, deputy public prosecutor K Mangai informed the court that there was no instruction for the prosecution to object to the adjournment.

On June 22, Rosmah, 71, failed in her bid to challenge Sri Ram's appointment as lead prosecutor in her RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project graft case at the Court of Appeal.

On Sept 1 last year, Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan found Rosmah guilty of three corruption charges involving RM1.25 billion in connection with a hybrid solar project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.

Rosmah was sentenced to 10 years in jail for each charge to be served concurrently, which means she will only serve 10 years in jail. She was also fined RM970 million, in default 30 years in jail.

The High Court, however, granted Rosmah a stay of execution of the imprisonment term and fine pending her appeal at the Court of Appeal.

She was accused of one count of soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd former managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin.