KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 23): Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor was spirited in her replies to senior Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram at the High Court on Thursday (Dec 23) as the prosecution tried to impeach her credibility as a witness in the solar hybrid graft trial.
Her much-anticipated cross-examination, which had to be postponed twice on Dec 8 and 10 due to her MySejahtera status, was rather animated Thursday.
Rosmah, who had just turned 70 on Dec 10, was ordered by the court to testify in her cross-examination although her lawyers informed the court that her MySejahtera had shown her status as yellow and three members of her household are said to be positive with Covid-19.
As Sri Ram wanted to begin questioning her after she took her oath at the witness stand, she snapped and said to give her time for her to settle down first.
This led to Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan allowing her to compose herself for several short minutes before Sri Ram began his line of questioning on the statement she gave to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in October 2018 over her money-laundering and tax evasion matter and the testimony she gave in court regarding her present graft trial.
Sri Ram, a former Federal Court judge, asked her questions regarding her statement to the MACC and her testimony in court, and at times, there were exchanges between her and the senior DPP when he addressed her as “witness”.
While Justice Zaini dismissed the prosecution's attempt to impeach her over the purported contradictory statement and testimony, the court allowed them to test the credibility of her answers.
This led to the senior DPP asking her about the contradiction. She stood her ground in saying that when the MACC questioned her in October 2018, they did not show pictures of Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin or his former partner Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah.
Then Sri Ram asked her about the delivery of bags containing RM5 million to Seri Perdana, as testified by her former aide Datuk Rizal Mansor and Saidi, to which she maintained she was not at the official home of the prime minister but at her Jalan Langgak Duta home.
When the senior DPP pointed out that she had also testified in her evidence that she was all over Kuala Lumpur at that time and not merely at Jalan Langgak Duta, she replied that Langgak Duta is in KL.
“I may have 'rayau' (stray or travel around) in KL. I do not know what time. I was just thinking aloud,” Rosmah said.
Then came the contentious issue of the purported audio recording between her husband Datuk Seri Najib Razak and her, which Rosmah vehemently denied was her even though some other prosecution witnesses had earlier identified it was her.
Despite her denial, Sri Ram continued to pressure her on the audio recording which the court had accepted as evidence when Justice Zaini ordered her to enter into her defence, and there were exchanges between her and the senior DPP and she remarked that there was no scientific evidence to show the recording depicted was her.
As Sri Ram tried to ask her to answer her question, as there were prosecution witnesses who admitted it was her and that her lawyers never questioned those witnesses who verified it was her voice in the recording, Rosmah almost broke down and pleaded to the judge.
Sri Ram: I want you to keep your answer short, please answer the question?
Rosmah: Jangan jerit dekat saya. Saya tak biasa orang jerit dekat saya. (Do not shout at me, I am not used to people shouting at me.)
After Justice Zaini gave her several moments to compose herself, the judge asked her to answer the question, which Rosmah asked Sri Ram to repeat.
Sri Ram: Witnesses has identified that the said [audio] conversation was between you and your husband.
Rosmah: I disagree.
Her trial continues on Friday with her re-examination by her lawyers.