Rosmah gets temporary release of passport to visit daughter in Singapore

PUTRAJAYA - The Court of Appeal today allowed Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s application for temporary release of her passport until April 30 to enable her to visit her daughter in Singapore.

Her lawyer, Datuk Jagjit Singh, made the application during online proceedings before a three-member bench comprising Datuk Azmi Ariffin, Datuk Noorin Badaruddin and Datuk Meor Hashimi Abdul Hamid.

Justice Azmi, who chaired the bench, granted the application after Deputy Public Prosecutor K.Mangai, who appeared for the prosecution, did not oppose the application.

Earlier, Jagjit Singh informed the court that Rosmah, the wife of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was seeking the release of her passport, which had been impounded by the court, to allow her to travel to Singapore from Feb 1 to April 30 this year.

He said from Feb 20 to 26, Rosmah, however, would return to Kuala Lumpur for her appeal hearing (set on Feb 25) concerning the application to recuse the then High Court judge, Datuk Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, now a Court of Appeal judge, from hearing her corruption case linked to the hybrid solar project.

Rosmah had filed the recusal application at the eleventh hour before Judge Mohamed Zaini was scheduled to deliver his decision in her corruption case on Sept 1, 2022.

In her application, Rosmah alleged that a draft judgment in her case, purportedly prepared by a third party, had been leaked prior to the delivery of the official decision.

On the same day, Judge Mohamed Zaini found Rosmah, 74, guilty of three corruption charges and sentenced her to 10 years in prison and a RM970 million fine or 30 years in prison in default. She subsequently filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal.

However, Rosmah was granted a stay of execution on both the custodial sentence and the fine, pending the disposal of her appeal.

Rosmah 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. - BERNAMA