Kuala Lumpur: The Court of Appeal in Putrajaya today adjourned Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s appeal against her conviction in the RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project corruption case until September, adding that it would not allow any further adjournments.
According to The Star, a three-member bench chaired by Datuk Azhahari Kamal Ramli allowed the hearing, originally scheduled to begin today, to be postponed pending the Federal Court’s decision on Rosmah’s review application linked to her failed bid to recuse the trial judge who convicted her, Datuk Mohamed Zaini Mazlan.
The Federal Court is scheduled to hear the review application on July 29.
In allowing the adjournment, Justice Azhahari said the court had taken note of a letter dated October 10, 2024, from the president of the Court of Appeal instructing that the main appeal be deferred until the review application had been disposed of.
He also described the matter as “an ageing case”, noting that it dates back to 2022.
“We have fixed the appeal for hearing. We will not allow any further adjournment,” he said.
The appeal is now scheduled to be heard from September 1 to 4, September 8 to 11, and September 21 to 30.
Justices Datuk Choo Kah Sing and K. Muniandy sat with Justice Azhahari on the panel.
The court also took into account the personal circumstances of one of Rosmah’s lawyers, Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader, whose son died in a road crash in May.
During proceedings, co-counsel Datuk Jagjit Singh teared up as he told the court that Akberdin was still grieving the loss of his 24-year-old son, Adli Hakim, who was among three people killed in a collision with a cement lorry on the Karak Highway on May 22.
Jagjit said Akberdin had prepared a substantial portion of the written submissions and that his presence was important for the appeal.
“He (Akberdin) is like my own younger brother. He is still grieving and mourning. We hope the prosecution can understand this situation,” Jagjit told the court.
Deputy public prosecutor K. Mangai said the prosecution had been instructed to oppose the adjournment because the appeal had been pending before the Court of Appeal since 2023, but left the matter to the court’s discretion in light of Akberdin’s bereavement.
The adjournment follows the Federal Court’s decision in March dismissing Rosmah’s bid to recuse Justice Mohamed Zaini and order a retrial, ruling there was no appealable error warranting its intervention. Rosmah subsequently filed a review application against that decision, which the Court of Appeal said should be resolved before the appeal proceeds.
Rosmah sought to recuse Justice Mohamed Zaini after a draft judgment in her case was leaked before he delivered his decision in September 2022. She argued that the draft had been prepared by a third party, but her application was dismissed by the High Court, the Court of Appeal and later the Federal Court.
Justice Mohamed Zaini convicted Rosmah on September 1, 2022, sentencing her to 10 years’ imprisonment and a RM970 million fine after finding her guilty over the Sarawak solar hybrid project.
She was charged with one count of soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving RM6.5 million in bribes from former Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin in connection with the project.
Rosmah remains free on a stay of execution pending the outcome of her appeal.
