Malaysian court allows Rosmah Mansor temporary release of passport for trip to Singapore

Malaysia’s Court of Appeal has allowed Rosmah Mansor, wife of former prime minister Najib Razak, to use her passport till April 30, so she can travel to Singapore to visit her daughter.

A three-judge panel led by Justice Azmi Ariffin approved the application after Deputy Public Prosecutor K. Mangai said the government would not object, reported Malaysian media outlets.

The other members of the panel were Justices Noorin Badaruddin and Meor Hashimi Abdul Hamid. The proceedings were conducted online.

Rosmah, 74, asked the court to release her passport, which had been impounded, from Feb 1 through April 30.

Her lawyer, Mr Jagjit Singh, told the court she would return to Kuala Lumpur from Feb 20 to 26 to attend an appeal hearing scheduled for Feb 25.

That hearing concerns her attempt to disqualify the trial judge in her corruption case, Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, who has since been elevated to the Court of Appeal.

Rosmah filed the

recusal application

in August 2022, shortly before Judge Mohamed Zaini was due to deliver his verdict, alleging that a draft of the judgment, purportedly prepared by a third party, was leaked before the official decision.

On Sept 1, 2022, Judge Mohamed Zaini

found Rosmah guilty

in three corruption charges related to a government project to supply hybrid solar energy systems to rural schools in Sarawak.

She was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined RM970 million (about S$312 million), with a default sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment if the fine is not paid.

Prosecutors said Rosmah solicited RM187.5 million and received RM6.5 million in bribes from Mr Saidi Abang Samsudin, former managing director of Jepak Holdings, a company linked to the project.

She has appealed the conviction and sentence, and has been granted a stay of execution on both the prison term and the fine pending the outcome of the appeal.