KUALA LUMPUR (July 30): Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor has filed an application to adduce fresh evidence in her appeal against her graft conviction involving the solar hybrid project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.
It is understood that the application will be heard on Sept 1, which was initially slated as the first day of the hearing of appeal, which has been pending since the 2022 verdict.
The specifics of the application have not been disclosed; however, it is understood that Rosmah contends that the new evidence is pertinent to her case.
The matter came up for case management on Thursday before Court of Appeal (COA) deputy registrar Mahyudin Mohmad Som.
The news comes a day after the apex court unanimously dismissed Rosmah's review bid to revisit the her application to recuse the trial judge Datuk Mohamed Zaini Mazlan in the graft case while seeking a retrial.
A three-member review panel led by Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Azizah Nawawi on Wednesday had dismissed Rosmah's leave (permission) application, adding that review powers should be exercised with caution, and reviews should not be used as an avenue for another appeal.
Azizah also emphasised that there had to be finality in litigation.
In the solar case, Rosmah, the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was found guilty on all three counts of graft and was sentenced to 10 years’ jail and fined a whopping RM970 million — the largest amount ever imposed by the High Court for a graft case.
Rosmah is appealing the conviction and sentence. However, the appeal has been on hold till the disposal of the recusal application.
The main appeal was slated to be heard earlier this month, but the COA granted a postponement pending Rosmah's review hearing.
However, the three-member panel for the main appeal, led by Datuk Azhahari Kamal Ramli, has set 16 days in September for the appeal to be heard, and warned parties that the appeal must be concluded within this timeframe.
Azhahari had said: "However, we say this and we are serious about this. Since this is a 2022 case, it's an ageing case. We fix the case for hearing on these following dates [...], we are not compromising on these dates."
The dates are Sept 1-4, Sept 8-11 and Sept 21-30.