Rosmah's money laundering and tax evasion trial to begin in November

Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan has set 17 days beginning Nov 15 to hear Rosmah’s money laundering and tax evasion case.

Deputy public prosecutor Poh Yih Tinn said Justice Mohamed Zaini fixed the dates during the case management today.

“The court has set the trial on Nov 15 to 17; Nov 29 and 30; Dec 1 and 2; Dec 13 and 14, and continues in 2022 on Jan 10 to 13 as well as Jan 24 to 27.

“The case management is fixed on Sept 9 this year and the prosecution will be calling in around 15 witnesses to testify,” he told Bernama via Whatsapp today.

Lawyer Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent, who is representing the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, also confirmed the trial dates.

“The prosecution had also informed the court that they would not be applying to transfer the case to a different court,” he said in a text message today.

On Dec 18 last year, Justice Mohamed Zaini had suggested that the trial be transferred to another judge to enable it to be heard earlier, or to just maintain the trial at his court.

Rosmah’s money laundering and tax evasion case had earlier been fixed to begin in May 2020 but had been vacated due to her ongoing corruption case involving the solar hybrid project for rural schools in Sarawak.

On Feb 18 this year, Justice Mohamed Zaini ordered Rosmah, 69, to enter her defence on all three corruption charges. The court fixed nine days, on June 9,10,15,16,17, 22, 23 and July 12 and 15, to hear the evidence from Rosmah and other defence witnesses.

Rosmah is facing 12 money laundering charges involving RM7,097,750 and five counts for failing to declare her income to the Inland revenue Board.

The offences were allegedly committed at Affin Bank Berhad, Bangunan Getah Asli branch, ground Floor, 148 Jalan Ampang here between Dec 4, 2013 and June 8, 2017 and the Inland Revenue Board, Kompleks Bangunan Kerajaan, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim here between May 1, 2014 and May 1, 2018.

The charges on money laundering were framed under Section 4(1) (a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 and punishable under Section 4(1) of the same law, which provides for imprisonment of up to 15 years and fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the proceeds of unlawful activity or RM5 million, whichever is higher, on conviction.

The charges for tax evasion, made under Section 77(1) of the Income Tax Act 1967, said she failed to furnish returns of her income for the assessment years 2013 to 2017 to the IRB director-general on or before April 30, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 without reasonable excuse contrary to Section 112 of the law.