KUALA LUMPUR: Rosmah Mansor wife of Malaysia’s ex-premier Najib Razak was found guilty of graft just over a week after her husband began serving a 12-year jail term. “Accused is found guilty of all three charges,” High Court Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan said as Rosmah sat quietly in dock. Judge added that her defense was “bare denial and unsubstantiated.” Kuala Lumpur court began mitigation afternoon, ahead of sentencing.

Even after that, Rosmah will not go straight to jail, pending what could be a lengthy appeals process. Prosecutors said Rosmah had sought a 187.5 million-ringgit ($41.8 million) bribe and received 6.5 million ringgit for helping a company secure a solar power project for rural schools in Malaysian part of Borneo during her husband’s rule. She still faces 17 other charges involving tax evasion and money laundering. 70-year-old has long been reviled by Malaysians for her reportedly vast collection of designer handbags, clothing and jewelry, acquired on jet-set overseas shopping trips. On Thursday, dressed in a peach-colored traditional Malay dress and scarf with a floral print and matching face mask, Rosmah arrived in court escorted by police. Her son and daughter also attended court proceedings. 1MDB scandal sparked investigations in United States, Switzerland and Singapore, whose financial systems were believed to have been used to launder money.–Agencies

Published in The Daily National Courier, September, 02 2022

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