KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 8): The Court of Appeal on Thursday (Dec 8) fixed May 18 next year to hear Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's appeal for judicial review to challenge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram's appointment as senior deputy public prosecutor.
The date was fixed by the appellate court's deputy registrar Mariam Hasanah Othman following e-review or case management on Thursday.
The hearing date was confirmed by Rosmah's counsel Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader with theedgemarkets.com. Senior federal counsel Erma Wani Ahmad Keflee appeared for the Attorney General's Chambers.
Rosmah named the attorney general, the Malaysian government and Sri Ram as respondents for the judicial review application.
On Aug 30, Rosmah failed in her judicial review bid to remove Sri Ram from prosecuting her in her solar hybrid trial, for which she was found guilty by the High Court (criminal) division a day later.
Judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid refused to grant leave (permission) to initiate the merits of the judicial review to be heard and allowed the preliminary objection made by the Attorney General's Chambers and Sri Ram who appeared for himself.
In dismissing Rosmah's application, Ahmad Kamal ruled there was a delay in filing a judicial review application.
"I am of the view that an application for leave for judicial review made under Order 53 rule 3(6) of the Rules of Court 2012 challenging Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram's fiat must be filed within three months from the date when the grounds of application first arose or when the decision was first communicated to the applicant," he said.
Rosmah, prior to the judicial review, had also filed an application to remove Sri Ram via the criminal mode which was heard by judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, who presided over her solar hybrid graft trial, but this was also dismissed.
Subsequently, the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak appealed to the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court and this was dismissed by the apex court on May 27.
Later, she filed the judicial review application just before Mohamed Zaini was supposed to deliver his verdict.
Mohamed Zaini on Sept 1 convicted Rosmah of three counts of graft in relation to the solar hybrid case and sentenced her to 10 years' jail with a RM970 million fine. She is appealing her sentence which is due to be heard at the Court of Appeal.