KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 — Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor has been admitted at a private hospital here last night for severe neck and backache, her lawyer Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader has confirmed today.
“Yes, for some medical complication and further observation on doctor’s advice,” Akberdin told Malay Mail in a brief text message confirming media reports.
However, the lawyer said it is still unknown how many days Rosmah will be warded, as the decision is up to the doctors.
Yesterday, Rosmah was absent from the court on the scheduled first day of her first trial involving an alleged bribes-for-contract scandal.
According to reports, Rosmah was accompanied by her husband Datuk Seri Najib Razak as she was admitted into the hospital at about 10.30 pm last night.
It was reported that Rosmah has been undergoing treatment at the same hospital before this.
Yesterday in court Rosmah’s lawyers produced a medical certificate to explain her absence, saying that the sick leave was for until February 8.
Lead prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram had however objected to the medical certificate being used to justify her absence in courtroom, arguing that he too was suffering from some of the medical conditions that Rosmah was said to have.
Rosmah’s lead defence lawyer Datuk Jagjit Singh said he was only informed of the medical situation last night by his client.
He pointed out that Rosmah’s medical conditions are “ongoing” and “flares up from time to time”.
High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan sympathised with Rosmah’s condition but insisted that the trial resume tomorrow, adding that she could come to court in a wheelchair if necessary.
This is not the first time Rosmah had called in sick for court proceedings, as she had also done so previously during a case mention on April 5, 2019 and also during court proceedings in May 2019.
Rosmah is facing three charges for both soliciting and accepting millions of ringgit in bribes in exchange for helping a company to secure a contract worth RM1.25 billion from the Education Ministry through direct negotiations.
The contract was for an integrated project for solar photovoltaic hybrid system and for the operation and maintenance of generators for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.
Rosmah was charged on November 15, 2018 with having asked for an RM187.5 million bribe or 15 per cent of the contract’s value from the company Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd’s managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin, and receiving an RM1.5 million bribe from Saidi.
She was charged on April 10, 2019 with receiving a RM5 million bribe in cash from Saidi via her former aide Datuk Rizal Mansor.
