KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 ― The bribery trial of Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor had to be adjourned earlier than planned today after the wife to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak complained of feeling unwell.
Following the cross-examination of former education minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid by Rosmah’s lawyer Datuk Jagjit Singh and Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader, High Court Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan called for a lunch recess at 12:41pm, and for trial to resume after 2pm today.
While deputy public prosecutors, defence lawyers and those in the public gallery had begun to exit the room, Rosmah remained seated in the dock and refused to leave the courtroom.
Her aides were seen talking to her. However, the reason was only made known later at 1.08pm when the judge was called back with the defence informing the court that Rosmah was unwell and requested the trial to continue only tomorrow.
“May we be excused for the day? I just checked with my client and she's not feeling well. We have a little bit to go before 2pm, but I assure you we will be here tomorrow to finish,” Jagjit said.
“Okay, if the prosecution doesn’t have a problem with it, we can adjourn,” the judge said.
The prosecution did not object.
The judge then adjourned court adjourned for the day, setting the trial to resume at 10am tomorrow.
This is not the first time Rosmah’s health was raised in court.
Last week, she was absent on February 3, which was supposed to be the first day of her trial.
The given reason was that she had neck and back pain, due to chronic “cervical spondylosis and osteoarthritis of the knees for the past few years”.
Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram, who was prosecuting, accused Rosmah of using it as a mere excuse to avoid attending court.
Rosmah, 68, is on trial for three charges of 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.
She 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 again on April 10, 2019 with receiving a RM5 million bribe in cash from Saidi via her former aide Datuk Rizal Mansor.
