KUALA LUMPUR (BERNAMA) - The Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur was told on Thursday (Nov 8) that nearly 99.9 per cent of documents in the case involving former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak's wife, Rosmah Mansor, who is facing 17 charges of money laundering and failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board (IRB), have been handed to the defence team.
Retired Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram, who is leading the prosecution team in the case, informed the court of this when the case came up for mention before Judge Azura Alwi.
"We have handed over the documents under Section 51A of the Criminal Procedure Code to the defence team," he said.
Meanwhile, lawyer Datuk K. Kumaraendran, representing Rosmah, told the court that the defence received a 600-page document on the case on Oct 30.
"We propose a month for the next mention date. We don't have time to study the documents yet," he said, adding that only the document on Rosmah's bank statement has yet to be handed over to the defence.
The defence team also said that they would apply to transfer the case to the High Court soon.
Judge Azura then set Dec 6 for the next mention of the case.
Rosmah, 67, in matching baju kurung and shawl, was a picture of calm in the dock. A female assistant was later seen placing a small pillow against her back.
Meanwhile, lawyer Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent, who is also representing Rosmah, told reporters outside the court that the defence would file an application to transfer the case to the High Court before Dec 6.
On Oct 4, Rosmah pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court to 12 counts of money laundering involving RM7,097,750 (S$2.34 million), and five counts of failing to declare her income to the IRB.
On the first eight counts, Rosmah is alleged to have been involved in money laundering by directly engaging in transactions that involved the proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to RM1.1 million, which was deposited into her account at Affin Bank Berhad.
She is alleged to have committed the offences at Affin Bank Berhad's Bangunan Getah Asli branch, in Jalan Ampang, between Dec 4, 2013, and June 8, 2017.
The charges were made under Section 4(1) (a) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 and punishable under Section 4(1) of the same law, which provides for a maximum fine of RM5 million or imprisonment of up to five years, or both, if found guilty.
For the ninth to 12th charges, Rosmah is alleged to have directly engaged in 227 transactions involving proceeds of unlawful activities totalling RM5,997,750, which was deposited into the same account in Affin Bank.
The charges were made under Section 4(1) (a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 and punishable under Section 4(1) of the same law, which provides for an imprisonment of up to 15 years and fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the proceeds of the unlawful activity, or RM5 million, whichever is higher, if found guilty.
Rosmah also pleaded not guilty to five counts of failing to furnish the returns of her income to the director-general of the Inland Revenue Board.
She is alleged to have directly engaged in transactions involving proceeds from unlawful activities by failing to furnish returns on her income amounting to RM7,097,750 that was deposited into her Affin Bank account between Dec 4, 2013, and June 8, 2017.
Section 77(1) of the Income Tax Act 1967 requires her to furnish the returns of her income for the assessment years 2013 to 2017 to the IRB's director-general on or before April 30 of the years 2014 to 2018 without reasonable excuse contrary to Section 112 of the law.
She was charged with committing all the offences at the Inland Revenue Board, Kompleks Bangunan Kerajaan, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim, between May 1, 2014, and May 1, 2018.
