Rosmah Mansor, Najib's wife, acquitted of 17 charges of money laundering & tax evasion
She described the acquittal as a "birthday gift".
![image](https://static.mothership.sg/1/2024/12/rosmah.jpg)
The wife of Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak, Rosmah Mansor, has been acquitted of all of her charges pertaining to money laundering and tax evasion.
According to Malaysian media, she was acquitted by Malaysia's High Court of 12 charges of money laundering involving RM7 million (S$2.1 million), as well as five charges of failing to declare her income to the country's Inland Revenue Board (IRB).
Following the proceedings, she said:
"My lawyers have assured me since day one that these charges had no basis, but you can never be certain. My acquittal on my birthday is not only a meaningful gift for me but also a gift for my Bossku (Najib).
This is what I call justice."
Why were the charges dismissed?
Rosmah was first charged on Oct. 4, 2018.
She was accused of committing her offences between Dec. 4, 2013 and Jun. 8, 2017.
In September 2023, Rosmah filed an application to strike out all 17 charges on the grounds that the charges were defective and failed to disclose the essential elements of her alleged offences, according to The Malay Mail.
The judge who granted the acquittal, K Muniady, stated in his judgement that the charges against Rosmah failed to specify the key elements of her alleged offences of money laundering, including the transaction involving money laundering, the conduct of the accused, and the money referred to in the charges.
He added, "The unlawful activity that was tied to the charges was also not disclosed but the proceeds of unlawful activity have appeared from nowhere."
Without these elements, the charges merely describe the act of depositing money into the bank, which in itself is not an offence, the judge pointed out.
As for the charges pertaining to undisclosed income to the IRB, even if this is the case, there must be transactions demonstrating the accused’s involvement with the undisclosed income for it to qualify as money laundering, according to the judge.
Muniady then concluding his judgement by saying that her application to have the charges dismissed was granted based on the court's findings.
Malaysia's Attorney-General Chambers said it plans to appeal against the judgement, according to The Star.
Appeal against her prison sentence for corruption is still pending
The New Straits Times further reported that Rosmah's appeal against her prison sentence for three charges of corruption involving a RM1.25 billion (S$377 million) hybrid solar project is also still pending.
She had been sentenced to 10 years in prison and a fine of RM970 million (S$292.8 million).
Top photo via Rosmah Mansor/Facebook
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