Kuala lumpur: The prosecution has withdrawn its appeal against a High Court decision that acquitted and discharged Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor of 12 charges of money laundering involving more than RM7 million and five charges of failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board (IRB).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the notice of withdrawal of the appeal filed by the public prosecutor at the Court of Appeal last December 9 stated that it did not intend to proceed with the appeal. The document specified dissatisfaction with the decision of High Court Judge K. Muniandy on December 19, 2024, but noted that the public prosecutor has now given notice not to continue with the appeal.
A letter from the Deputy Registrar of the Court of Appeal indicated that the case management scheduled for December 22 has been vacated, and the appeal is dismissed as provided for in Order 73, Court of Appeal Rules 1994.
Meanwhile, lawyer Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad, representing Rosmah, confirmed the matter and stated that Judge Muniandy's decision to acquit his client was appropriate and fair. He expressed relief that Rosmah has been completely freed from the charges, acknowledging the challenging process she endured and affirming that justice has been served.
On December 19 last year, Judge K. Muniandy acquitted and discharged Rosmah, the wife of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, of all charges after granting her application to quash all 17 charges. Muniandy ruled that the prosecution failed to present key elements of the offence of money laundering in the charges against Rosmah.
Rosmah, 74, filed the application to strike out the charges in September 2023, and the trial began on August 24, 2023, with two witnesses testifying in court. On October 4, 2018, Rosmah pleaded not guilty to 12 counts of money laundering involving RM7,097,750 and five counts of failing to declare her income to the IRB.
The alleged offences took place at Affin Bank Berhad, Bangunan Getah Asli branch, Ground Floor, 148 Jalan Ampang between December 4, 2013, and June 8, 2017, and at LHDN, Government Building Complex, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim between May 1, 2014, and May 1, 2018. The charges of money laundering were framed under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the illegal proceeds or RM5 million, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
The tax evasion charges were brought under Section 77(1) of the Income Tax Act 1967, requiring her to submit her income returns for the assessment years 2013 to 2017 by the specified deadlines, without reasonable excuse, in contravention of Section 112 of the Act.
Rosmah is also appealing her conviction, 10-year imprisonment sentence, and an RM970 million fine over a corruption case related to the 369 solar hybrid rural schools project. The date of the hearing at the Court of Appeal has yet to be set.