Senior deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram informed judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan that not only did Akberdin come down with Covid-19, but two other counsel in Rosmah’s team – Jagjit Singh and Azrul Zulkifli Stork – were close contacts with Akberdin and needed to be quarantined.

Zaini said the court had also been notified of the matter by Jagjit’s law firm.

“I understand that he (Akberdin) was diagnosed on Feb 12. It is unfortunate to hear that. I wish him well,” he said.

Zaini fixed Feb 23 for the trial to resume.

Today was supposed to have been the last day of her defence where a former special officer to former prime minister Najib Razak, Siti Azizah Sheikh Abod, was scheduled to be cross-examined by the prosecution.

Sri Ram also told the court an application had been filed for a star witness in the case, former Jepak Holdings managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin, to be recalled to testify.

On Feb 18 last year, the High Court ordered Rosmah to defend herself on all three corruption charges involving the solar hybrid project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak after finding that the prosecution had succeeded in proving a prima facie case against her.

Rosmah, 70, faces one charge of soliciting RM187.5 million and two charges of accepting bribes amounting to RM6.5 million from Saidi.

The bribes were allegedly received through her former special officer Rizal Mansor as a reward to help Jepak Holdings obtain the Integrated Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Hybrid System Project as well as Genset/Diesel Maintenance and Operation for 369 schools worth RM1.25 billion through direct negotiations from the education ministry.