Rosmah submits new representation to drop 17 charges

Her lawyer, Datuk Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin, informed High Court Judge K. Muniandy that the representation, sent yesterday, contained serious issues that needed to be considered by the Attorney-General.

"We also request that the hearing of today's case be adjourned pending the decision of the representation," said the lawyer.

This is the third representation sent by the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The first and second representations were submitted on May 3 and August 18, respectively, but have not been decided by the AGC yet.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib confirmed receiving the representation yesterday and did not object to the request by the defence to postpone today's proceeding which was set to hear Rosmah's application to strike out the 12 money laundering charges and five charges for failing to declare her income to the IRB.

However, Judge Muniandy did not allow the adjournment of today's proceedings and asked the parties involved to continue with their submissions.

Lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad, also representing Rosmah, in his submission, said his client would not get a fair trial (if the 12 money laundering and five IRB charges were not dropped) because the 17 charges were flawed and misleading.

"The charges overlap each other and actually refer to the same offence.

"The first to the 12th amended (money laundering) charges are vague and defective because they do not state what the illegal activity is or predicate offence from which the proceeds are said to have been obtained, while the details in the 13th to 17th charge (failure to declare income) are misleading, " said the lawyer.

The hearing of the application continues on Jan 16.

Rosmah, 72, filed the notice of motion to be acquitted and discharged of all the 17 charges on Oct 4, 2020. She was alleged to have committed all the offences at Affin Bank Berhad, Natural Rubber Building Branch, Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur between Dec 4, 2013, and June 8, 2017, and at LHDN, Government Complex, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim, here, from May 1, 2014, to May 1, 2018.

The trial of the case started last Aug 24 and two witnesses had testified.