Rosmah Mansor is facing 12 money laundering charges and five counts of failure to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board. (Bernama pic)
PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has set March 17 to hear two appeals by Rosmah Mansor to recuse the judge hearing her money laundering and tax evasion trial.
Deputy public prosecutor Poh Yih Tinn said the date was set by deputy registrar Khairi Haron during case management today.
“The parties informed Khairi that additional submissions have been filed as previously directed by the Court of Appeal,” he said.
Counsel Ravin Kumar represented Rosmah in today’s proceedings.
Last month, a three-member bench chaired by Justice Hanipah Farikullah instructed both the prosecution and defence to file additional submissions to address whether the appeals court had jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Yesterday, FMT reported that the prosecution’s submissions contend that the court does have jurisdiction to hear two appeals.
The trial is scheduled to be heard by Justice Zaini Mazlan in the Kuala Lumpur High Court for 15 days between May and September next year.
Zaini was also the judge who heard and convicted Rosmah in her RM1.25 billion solar hybrid energy project corruption trial earlier this year.
In the first recusal application, Rosmah, the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak, had called for Zaini to recuse himself, claiming that statements and exhibits tendered to the court in that trial could directly or indirectly influence him in the current case.
On Dec 14 last year, Zaini dismissed that application, saying that as a matter of law, he was required to consider each case separately and independently.
On April 25 this year, Zaini dismissed Rosmah’s second recusal application premised on largely similar grounds saying it was res judicata as Rosmah had made an identical application in her solar energy corruption trial which was also dismissed.
Rosmah is facing 12 money laundering charges and five counts of failure to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).
She is accused of committing the offences between Dec 4, 2013 and June 8, 2017.