The former prime minister’s wife filed bids to challenge Sri Ram’s appointment in leading the prosecution for her case as well as to nullify the proceedings.
Rosmah claimed his appointment was defective as Sri Ram’s letter of appointment was only signed by Attorney-General Idrus Harun on July 8, last year, while her trial was already ongoing.
She is standing trial on one charge of allegedly soliciting RM187.5 million from a contractor (Saidi Abang Samsudin) in the Sarawak schools solar supply project, as well as two charges over claims she received RM6.5 million from Saidi.
It was alleged that the money was meant to help Saidi’s company, Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd to secure the RM1.25 billion project.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustafa P Kunyalam informed Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan on the prosecution’s stand during the case mention for both of Rosmah’s applications.
“Sri Ram will come to court and argue on June 3 because he said he was personally affected by the applications,” said Mustafa.
To that, Rosmah’s lawyer Jagjit Singh stood up and objected to the prosecution, saying that Sri Ram cannot argue the applications on his appointment.
“It is highly inappropriate,” he added.
In response, Mustafa told the court that the prosecution was guided by a precedent set in Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy 2 case, where lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah came to defend his appointment before the court.
Co-counsel for the defence Akberdin Abdul Kadir then said the issues pertaining to Shafee’s Sodomy 2 appointment and Sri Ram’s appointment in this case were different.
“His (Sri Ram) fiat comes under the challenge,” he added.
Zaini, however, said he will not make an order over the defence’s dispute on Sri Ram’s appearance to argue his appointment.
He also instructed the prosecution and defence to file in their submissions by May 28.
“I would also advise both parties to be prepared on June 9 for the continuation of the trial, in the event these applications are not in her (Rosmah’s) favour,” Zaini added.
Previously, the court had ordered Rosmah to answer the three corruption charges she was accused with, and the defence case had been fixed for June 9-10, 15-17, 22-23, as well as July 12 and 15.