Court of Appeal allows Rosmah to introduce new evidence in solar graft appeal

The Court of Appeal in Kuala Lumpur has granted permission for Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, to present additional evidence in her appeal against her corruption conviction. This decision clears the way for the evidence to be heard by the High Court. A three-member panel consisting of Justices Choo Kah Sing, Azhahari Kamal Ramli, and K. Muniandy allowed both applications and ordered the additional evidence to be examined by another High Court judge.

Justice Choo affirmed that the court determined the new evidence must be relevant, credible, and capable of belief, and if admitted, it could potentially change the outcome of the appeal. The additional evidence will be presented through further questioning of prosecution witness Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah, and only matters directly connected to the evidence will be allowed.

The court stated that the evidence should be heard by the High Court within two weeks of the current decision, subject to arrangements. The new evidence pertains to Rosmah's alleged knowledge and her relationship with Rizal Mansor, as well as the credibility of Rayyan's testimony, which was reportedly obtained under duress. Rosmah's legal representatives are Datuk Jagjit Singh and Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader.

The court did not decide the truth of the new evidence at this stage but focused on its necessity and credibility. If accepted, the additional evidence could significantly impact the appeal. The prosecution contested the applications, citing delays and timing, particularly due to the death of former lead prosecutor Datuk Sri Gopal Sri Ram.

The court acknowledged these concerns for consideration when testing the evidence. The panel set the hearing for October 14-16 and October 19-23, promising to conclude the case as soon as possible. Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah, who was a consultant for Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd during the testimony, stated that he witnessed two black bags containing RM1.5 million being delivered to Rosmah's residence in Langgak Duta on September 7, 2017.

Jepak Holdings was the company awarded the solar hybrid project. Rosmah was initially convicted on all three counts of graft and sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined RM970 million.