Wife of former Malaysian PM Najib arrested, to be charged again

Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-09 19:24:07|Editor: xuxin
Video PlayerClose

KUALA LUMPUR, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, was temporarily arrested by the country's anti-corruption body on Tuesday and is set to be charged again for her involvement in a solar power project for rural schools.

Rosmah, who was summoned for questioning before being arrested to facilitate investigations, was released on bail shortly after and is scheduled to be charged at a Kuala Lumpur court on Wednesday, the anti-corruption body said in a brief statement.

Last November, Rosmah and her former special officer were separately charged for attempting to solicit 44.8 million U.S. dollars, 15 percent of the contract value, from the company awarded the contract.

Rosmah was also charged with receiving bribes from the company director to assist him in obtaining the contract.

Her special officer, Rizal Mansor, faced four charges, two counts of soliciting and another two counts of receiving bribes.

Both pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Prior to the solar power project case, she had been slapped with 17 money laundering and tax-evasion offences involving 1.6 million U.S. dollars.

It was alleged that the solar panel project, involving more than 300 schools in the country's eastern state of Sarawak, was awarded to a company without an open tender with the endorsement by Najib.

Najib himself faces 42 counts of corruption, criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering charges, with the first trial started last week.

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011100001379630281