KUALA LUMPUR: Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor was left shaking her head in disbelief as the prosecution laid out its case against her and witnesses started testifying in her corruption case today.
Rosmah, who arrived at the courts complex here, straight from the hospital she’s admitted in after suffering from acute neck and joint pains, was seen shaking her head from side to side whenever she heard damning parts being read out.
A handful of her aides and supporters who sat directly behind her were occasionally seen patting her on the back as if to calm her.
The 69-year old wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was also greeted by her husband when his own SRC International Sdn Bhd trial was stood down about noon.
Najib walked into the courtroom and patted his wife on the shoulder before taking a seat in the public gallery right behind her.
He again gave her a mini hug before leaving the courtroom shortly after.
Meanwhile, the first witness in the case Huzairi Zainal Abidin, who is former deputy director in the Human Resources Department of the Prime Minister’s Office, said Rosmah was allotted a special officer to facilitate her role as the Prime Minister’s wife.
He said then chief private secretary to the Prime Minister Tan Sri Ab Aziz Kassim had instructed for a special division to be established to handle programmes involving Rosmah.
The division, he said, was named Bahagian First Lady of Malaysia (FLOM) but he could not remember who instructed it to be named as such.
He said the FLOM division was located in the Prime Minister’s Office but Rosmah did not have any office there.
However, he said FLOM was included in the directory of the Prime Minister’s Office at that time until the opposition picked it up and turned it into an issue.
“The usage of FLOM became a big issue because some people were of the view that the first lady of Malaysia should be the Raja Permaisuri Agong (the queen).
“Due to the issue, the FLOM division was renamed,” he said.
Meanwhile, second witness, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Mohd Redzuan Othaman, 26, revealed how he had taken pictures of Rosmah’s residence in Jalan Langgak Duta here in November 2018.
He explained among the shots included the living hall where Rosmah was accused of receiving bribe of RM1.5 million from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd mananging director Saidi Abang Samsudin.
Third prosecution witness, Maybank bank officer Azimah Aziz, 38, testified that Saidi had withdrawn RM5 million in RM100 notes on Dec 19, 2016.
She said Saidi again withdrew another RM1.5 million on Sept 7, 2017, in RM100 notes.
Azimah said she enquired from Saidi why he needed the money and he informed her that it was for business purposes.
“He did not seem eager to say anything more so I left it at that. I than gave him the RM100 notes which were tied together in 15 rolls over the counter in the cash room of our bank,” she said adding Saidi left with the money in two back packs accompanied by another man.
The trial before High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan continues.
Rosmah, is facing three charges of soliciting RM187.5 million and receiving a bribe of 6.5 million from Saidi through her former aide Datuk Rizal Mansor for projects to provide solar energy to 369 rural schools in Sarawak.
The prosecution team is lead by Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram while Rosmah’s team is lead by Datuk Jagjit Singh.