KUALA LUMPUR: A visibly emotional Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor breathed a sigh of relief as she was finally exonerated of all 17 money laundering and tax evasion charges, bringing an end to six years of legal battles and uncertainty.
The wife of jailed former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak described her acquittal during her birthday month as a profound and heartfelt gift, not just for herself but also for her husband.
"My lawyers have assured me since day one that these charges had no basis, but you can never be certain.
"My acquittal on my birthday is not only a meaningful gift for me but also a gift for my Bossku (Najib).
"This is what I call justice and you should not play around with justice for everyone," she said when met outside the courtroom.
When asked if she was considering filing civil action against the government over the charges, Rosmah said she wanted to take a breather before thinking about other matters.
"Let me rest for a while," she quipped.
Earlier, High Court judge K. Muniandy acquitted Rosmah of RM7 million money laundering and tax evasion charges, ruling that the charges were illegal and flawed.
Rosmah was charged in the Sessions Court here on Oct 4, 2018, before the case was transferred to the High Court.
She faced 12 charges of money laundering involving RM7,097,750 and five charges of failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board.
She was accused of committing the offence between Dec 4, 2013 and June 8, 2017.
Rosmah is still facing an appeal proceeding against the decision of Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan (now a Court of Appeal judge), who sentenced her to 10 years in prison and a fine of RM970 million on three corruption charges involving a RM1.25 billion hybrid solar project.
Her appeal is slated to commence next year.