KUALA LUMPUR - The graft trial of Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, involving RM7 million (S$2.2 million) in money laundering and tax evasion is scheduled for May next year.

High Court judge Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan fixed the dates for the 15-day trial during case management on Thursday.

The trial will start on May 12 and runs through several dates in the months of June, July and August, with the last day on Sept 8.

The court also fixed Feb 20 for parties to update the decision of Rosmah’s appeal at the Court of Appeal to recuse Justice Mohamed Zaini from presiding over the trial.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Poh Yih Tinn appeared for the prosecution while Rosmah, 70, was represented by lawyer Geethan Ram Vincent.

Rosmah is facing 12 money laundering charges involving RM7,097,750 and five counts of failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board.

The offences were allegedly committed at Affin Bank’s branch at Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur between Dec 4, 2013, and June 8, 2017, and at the Inland Revenue Board on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim, also in Kuala Lumpur, between May 1, 2014, and May 1, 2018.

Rosmah’s bid to recuse Justice Mohamed Zaini from hearing the case is currently at the Court of Appeal stage.

In her recusal applications, Rosmah, among others, claimed that there was a danger of Justice Mohamed Zaini being prejudiced and biased against her if he presided over the money laundering case, as he had presided over her solar hybrid graft trial related to rural schools in Sarawak.

On Sept 1, the same judge found Rosmah guilty of three charges of corruption related to the solar hybrid project worth RM1.25 billion for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, and sentenced her to 10 years in prison and a fine of RM970 million.

Rosmah is out on bail pending her appeal against the conviction and sentence at the Court of Appeal. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK