In a significant development during the ongoing trial involving money laundering allegations against Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, new revelations have emerged about substantial cash deposits made into her Affin Bank Berhad account between 2014 and 2017. The trial, taking place in the High Court in Kuala Lumpur, has featured key witnesses shedding light on these financial transactions.
The trial’s first witness, Nor Ashikin Abdullah, an assistant manager responsible for Automated Teller Machine Services and Support at the bank, confirmed the reception of multiple cash deposits totaling RM1,098,200 into Rosmah’s account during the specified time period. She emphasized her access to transaction records from all cash deposit machines owned by the bank across the country. According to Nor Ashikin’s testimony, on November 9, 2018, she was instructed by the bank’s Anti-Money Laundering unit to gather essential information regarding the deposit records associated with the account number 10-002000005-8. As a result, she printed an electronic record from her office computer, revealing a sequence of deposits ranging from RM50 to RM9,900 spread over a 27-day duration.
Another crucial revelation surfaced from the second prosecution witness, Faizal Shamsuddin. Faizal, a former operations management officer at Seri Perdana, disclosed that he was directed by his superior, Roslan Sohari, to deposit cash into Rosmah’s account during his contractual tenure from 2012 to May 2018. Faizal recounted receiving a yellow envelope containing RM200,000, with no awareness of its contents, and being tasked with depositing it into the Affin Bank Bangunan Getah Asli branch on June 17, 2015. However, he clarified that he was unaware of the purpose behind this deposited money.
In a separate development, the defense team informed the court of its intention to file an application seeking the dismissal of charges against Rosmah. This decision followed the court’s choice to proceed with the trial while a representation bid was still under consideration by the Attorney General’s Chambers. The defense also indicated a desire to postpone cross-examination of the witnesses until the outcome of the application to dismiss charges becomes clear.
High Court Judge K. Muniandy, after agreeing to postpone the trial date for the current month, has scheduled September 7 for case management. This trial follows Rosmah’s conviction last year on three corruption charges linked to a solar project, which led to a 10-year concurrent prison sentence and a substantial fine. The ongoing trial involves 12 money laundering charges and five counts of failure to declare income, spanning from December 4, 2013, to June 8, 2017. Despite maintaining her not guilty plea since her initial indictment in October 2018, Rosmah continues to navigate the legal proceedings under intense public scrutiny.