Najib, Rosmah indictment topped court cases in 2018
Published on: Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Putra Jaya: The indictment of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor for alleged graft, criminal breach of trust and money laundering topped the highlights of court cases in 2018.The 65-year-old Najib was hit with several charges including ones that were related to the controversial 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and SRC International Sdn Bhd. He had been brought before the court at the Jalan Duta Court Complex at least four times to face charges from July this year.
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Rosmah, 67, was first charged with 17 money laundering charges involving over RM7 million in October and she was hauled to court the second time in two months to face graft charges involving RM187.5 million relating to projects to provide electricity to schools in Sarawak.Both Najib and Rosmah have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.The courts in the Jalan Duta complex have also been the centre of focus following the charging of several high profile personalities including former ministers for alleged graft, criminal breach of trust and money laundering.The year 2018 also saw the Federal Court delivering a landmark verdict relating to unilateral conversion of children to Islam.
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Another precedent judgment by the highest court in the country was in the case of Gin Poh Holdings vs the government of the state of Penang and five others which had ruled that the High Court can hear constitutional challenge.It was also the first for the Federal Court to defer its verdict although the panel of judges were ready with their decision. This was in an appeal by the National Registration Department (NRD) and two orders against an appellate court's ruling that Muslim children conceived out of wedlock could take his or her father's surname instead of carrying the "bin Abdullah" surname.
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On Nov 22, the three-man bench led by Court of Appeal President Ahmad Maarop decided to defer their decision in the appeal after allowing the government's application for an adjournment to enable it to find solution to resolve such disputes by other means.The case of two women who were publicly caned six times after they pleaded guilty to attempting to have same-sex relations at the Syariah High Court in Terengganu also attracted public attention.Other cases that also made headlines included the ones involving alleged physical and sexual abuse against children who were placed under the care of babysitters and a case of a housewife who sparked outrage after she was released on a good behaviour bond by a Sessions Court after pleading guilty to abusing her maid in 2016.Najib's indictment had captured global attention. He was first indicted in July with three criminal breach of trust charges and one count of abuse of power over funds totalling RM42 million belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd. Najib also pleaded not guilty to another three counts of receiving RM42 million from illegal proceeds.He was then slapped with 25 charges of graft and money laundering relating to transactions amounting to RM2.3 billion that were linked to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).Najib and former treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah were charged with six counts of criminal breach of trust involving RM6.6 billion of government funds.Several former ministers including Umno president and former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi claimed trial to 45 charges of money laundering involving RM72 million and criminal breach of trust and accepting bribes involving RM42 million.Former federal territories minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor was charged for allegedly receiving RM3 million in bribes from property developers.Rosmah's former aide Datuk Rizal Mansor was charged with four corruption charges at the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur for having allegedly solicited RM212.5 million and receiving bribes amounting to RM5.5 million on behalf of Rosmah and himself relating to the solar hybrid systems project.Former Malaysian External Intelligence Organisation (MEIO) chief Datuk Hasanah Abdul Hamid were also charged with allegedly committing criminal breach of trust involving public funds amounting to RM50.4 million.Prominent lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah pleaded not guilty to two counts at the Sessions Court for alleged money laundering.The charges were related to a RM9.5 million payment Muhammad Shafee allegedly received from Najib.He also faced two counts under the Income Tax Act of making false declarations to the Inland Revenue Board for not including the RM9.5 million in his tax filing for the year.At the start of the year, the Federal Court five-man bench delivered a decision in a conversion case involving three children of kindergarten teacher M. Indira Gandhi.The Apex court ruled that both the spouses who embraced Islam and the non-converting partner must give their consent for converting a minor child to Islam.The Federal Court had held the unilateral conversion to Islam of three children who were converted by their Muslim convert father was null and void.Recently, a babysitter's husband Hazmi Majid was charged at the Magistrates Court with the murder of an 11-month-old baby, Nur Muarzara Ulfa Muhammad Zainal or known as baby Zara.On Nov 28, the man was sentenced to 20 years jail and ordered to be given 12 strokes of the cane by the Kajang Sessions Court after he pleaded guilty to inserting his finger into the infant's private parts.A senior citizen was sentenced to 12 years jail and two strokes of the cane in September this year after he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing an 11-month-old baby by inserting his finger into the girl's private part. The victim was under the care of a babysitter.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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