KUALA LUMPUR: Rosmah Mansor was controlling, and dominating ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak, and interfering in his duties and government affairs, Judge Zaini Mazlan said in his 116-page judgment in which found her guilty of the three corruption charges linked to the RM1.25 billion Sarawak rural schools’ solar energy project.
Based on an audio recording and testimonies of prosecution witnesses, he said, Rosmah was obviously interfering in the government affairs when her husband Najib Razak was prime minister in 2009 – 2018.
The audio recording was allegedly a conversation between her and Najib over 1MDB matters.
“It is clear from the recording that the accused (Rosmah) gave instructions to Najib on government affairs,” Bernama quoted Zaini saying.
“I say with the greatest respect that it is apparent that the accused dominates Najib. She has control over him. She has no business interfering in Najib’s duties or government affairs, but she did,” he added.
The judge said her ex-aide Rizal Mansor, who worked for Rosmah for many years told the court that she had “an overbearing nature” and an ability to influence decisions in the civil service.
Rosmah has been found guilty of three accounts involving soliciting RM187.5 million from Jepak Holdings managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin through Rizal as an inducement to help the company secure the RM1.25 billion project, receiving a RM5 million bribe from Saidi (through Rizal) at Seri Perdana in Putrajaya on Dec 20, 2016, and another RM1.5 million from Saidi at Jalan Langgak Duta on Sept 7, 2017.
The court sentenced Rosmah to 10 years in prison for each of the three graft charges, and fined her about RM1 billion.
