Malaysia’s former first lady Rosmah Mansor was convicted on Thursday of soliciting and receiving bribes during her husband Najib Razak’s corruption-tainted administration on Thursday, a week after her husband was imprisoned over the massive looting of the 1MDB State fund.
Rosmah was found guilty on three charges of soliciting bribes and receiving 6.5 million ringgit ($1.5 million) between 2016 and 2017 to help a company secure a project to provide solar energy panels to schools on Borneo island. Rosmah is expected to remain out on bail for her appeal to higher courts.
High Court Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan said prosecutors proved beyond reasonable doubt that Rosmah corruptly solicited bribes and received money as a reward for herself. He said Rosmah’s defense was a bare denial.
Najib began a 12-year prison term last week after losing his final appeal in one of the five graft cases against him involving the multibillion-dollar pilfering of 1MDB.
Rosmah’s trial had shed light on her alleged sway in the government since her husband took office in 2009. Prosecutors said Rosmah wielded considerable influence due to her “overbearing nature,” even though she held no official position. Witnesses testified that a special department, called First Lady of Malaysia, was set up to handle Rosmah’s affairs.
The couple have been hit with multiple counts of graft after the shocking ouster of Najib’s United Malays National Organization in 2018 elections, fueled by public anger over the 1MDB scandal. UMNO has since returned to power after defections caused the collapse of the reformist government that won 2018 polls.
After Najib lost power, police raiding family residences seized hundreds of boxes of luxurious Hermes Birkin handbags, 423 watches, 14 tiaras and other jewelries plus cash estimated at more than 1.1 billion ringgit ($246 million).
Separately, Rosmah has also been charged with laundering illegal proceeds and tax evasion linked to 1MDB in another trial that hasn’t started.
Published - September 01, 2022 01:02 pm IST
