KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 23): Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor on Thursday denied the prosecution's contention that the audio recording of a secret conversation that was admitted as evidence by the High Court in her solar hybrid graft trial was between her and her husband, former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Rosmah, who once helmed the First Lady of Malaysia office, also disagreed with the prosecution's contention that based on the recording, she also tried to influence the appointments of public officials to senior government posts during her husband's nine-year tenure as prime minister.

This happened during her trial on Thursday (Dec 23), as senior deputy public prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram asked about the taped conversation, which was one of the areas the prosecution covered in her cross-examination.

This followed several prosecution witnesses, including her former aide Datuk Rizal Mansor, who listened to the audio recording in court and testified on Sept 9 last year, that the voice in the audio recording was that of Rosmah.

Witnesses former education minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, who is now rural development minister, former education ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Madinah Mohamad and Datuk Seri Alias Ahmad had verified that the voice in the audio clip was Rosmah's.

Sri Ram: Do you confirm that the voices in that tape are those of you (Rosmah) and your husband (Najib)?

Rosmah: No, I cannot confirm that because there was no scientific investigation done on that.

Sri Ram: Several witnesses gave evidence that they identified your voice and that of your husband's [in the tape].

Rosmah: And you're supposed to believe them? With no…

Sri Ram: You can't ask me questions. If you're going to quarrel with me, witness (Rosmah), I will ask for a direction from his lordship to you [to take action], if you want me to do that.

Rosmah: I am not going to quarrel with you. I am going to answer.

High Court Justice Mohamad Zaini Mazlan, who is presiding the trial, interjected and directed Rosmah to just listen to Sri Ram's questions, keep her answers short and reserve her explanations to when she would later be re-examined by her counsels Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader and Datuk Jagjit Singh.

The former premier's wife pleaded with Justice Zaini to not allow Sri Ram to "jerit-jerit" (shout) at her, as she explained that she was not used to people raising their voices at her.

Subsequently, Sri Ram requested the court's permission to play the taped audio recording — purportedly of a conversation between Najib and Romah, which is now known as the "Can I advise you something?" audio.

While snippets of the audio were played to her, the full recording had been played several times in court and the transcript of the conversation has also been admitted as evidence, when Justice Zaini ordered her to enter defence on Feb 18 this year.

During the conversation, the lady was heard to be advising her husband to hasten the appointment of Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad, who was then a senior officer at the Attorney General's Chambers, to be the next Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commisson chief commissioner.

Dzulkifli was appointed as MACC chief commissioner on Aug 1, 2016 and subsequently resigned on May 14, 2018, after Barisan Nasional lost the general election.

After the snippets were played by Sri Ram, the former Federal Court judge questioned Rosmah again.

Sri Ram: Is that your voice?

Rosmah: I don't know.

Sri Ram: I put it to you that is your voice?

Rosmah: I don't agree. I disagree.

Sri Ram: I also put it to you that during that conversation, you made references to the appointments of persons to public office, do you agree or disagree?

Rosmah: I don't agree.

Prior to that, in her Oct 6 testimony in her defence, as well as while answering questions by her lawyers during examination-in-chief, Rosmah referred to the audio recording as that of a private conversation between her and her husband.

Sri Ram suggested to Rosmah that she was attempting to distance herself from the contents of the tape because the tape confirmed that she was asking Najib to make public appointments, to which Rosmah disagreed.

Sri Ram: I put it to you that the contents of the tape are true, do you agree?

Rosmah: No, utterly rubbish.

Sri Ram: Again I have to ask you this: You were present in court when witnesses identified your voice on the tape, do you remember?

Rosmah: Yes, I was present in court.

Sri Ram: So I put it to you that it was open for you [through your lawyers] to challenge those witnesses but you elected not to because you knew it was your voice, do you agree or don't agree?

Rosmah: I disagree.

Rosmah is on trial for three charges in relation to a RM1.25 billion project to equip 369 schools in rural Sarawak with solar hybrid power.

The former premier's wife is facing a charge of allegedly soliciting RM187.5 million and two charges of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd and managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin through Rizal, for her help to secure the solar hybrid project.

She is alleged to have committed said offences between December 2016 and September 2017.

The trial is slated to continue on Friday before Justice Zaini with Rosmah being re-examined by her lawyers.

Read also:
Rosmah says she's just a wife stating her views to her husband in 'Can I advise you something' recording
Rosmah's 'can I advise you something' audio clip, transcript admitted as evidence
Rizal says his testimony against former boss Rosmah is nothing but the truth
Rosmah to file appeal over judge's non-recusal from her money laundering trial
Judge orders Rosmah's graft trial to proceed despite yellow MySejahtera status
Judge dismisses impeachment against Rosmah
Rosmah tells Sri Ram not to raise his voice at her

Listen to the clip here:
NEWS: Rosmah heard advising Najib to manoeuvre