KUALA LUMPUR: Wife of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, Rosmah Mansor has filed an application at the High Court, seeking the removal of the judge who heard her corruption case.
Rosmah’s lawyer Akberdin Abdul Kader told Malaysian media that the application was filed at the High Court on Tuesday afternoon (Aug 30).
Rosmah is facing three charges of soliciting and receiving bribes totalling RM194 million (US$43 million), linked to a RM1.25 billion solar energy project for schools in Sarawak.
The judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan who has been presiding over the trial since February 2020 is set to deliver his verdict on Thursday.
He is scheduled to deliver his decision at the end of the defence’s case on Thursday morning.
Malaysiakini reported that in her application filed at the High Court, Rosmah contended that she has lost faith in the judge’s ability to hear her corruption case following the recent alleged leak of a judgment that purportedly pronounced her guilty in the matter.
Rosmah claimed to have read an article by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin on how she will be pronounced guilty on Sep 1.
She said she was shocked to read the article, which stated that the judgment against her was ready. The article also wrote that the judgment was not prepared by the judge himself but rather prepared on his behalf.
Bernama reported that in her application, Rosmah is seeking an order for a stay of the judgement to be made at the end of the solar project case, which has been set for Thursday, or any date after that, until the disposal of her notice of motion or the investigation into the matter has been completed.
She also seeks an order that with the recusal of the judge, the solar case should be heard, retried or decided by another High Court judge.