KUALA LUMPUR: The Attorney-General's Chambers has filed a notice of appeal against Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's acquittal on 17 charges of money laundering and tax evasion involving RM7 million.
The A-GC, in a statement, said an appeal notice was filed by the prosecution today against the entire court decision.
Lead prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib confirmed this.
The wife of jailed former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was acquitted of all charges yesterday after the High Court ruled that the charges against her were illegal and flawed.
Judge K. Muniandy had said the charges were duplicitous and failed to comply with the provisions of Section 163 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).
He had said what was stated in the charges were merely the monies allegedly deposited into the account of the accused.
"It per se does not meet the requirement of proceeds of unlawful activity but only the income not disclosed to the Inland Revenue Board (IRB).
"Surveying the preferred charges against the accused, the only act alleged in the charges is a deposit of monies into accounts and nothing more," he said.
On the tax evasion charges, Muniandy said the offence was only triggered if all available avenues under the Income Tax Act (ITA) have been exhausted.
"Section 112 of the ITA is only triggered after the domestic redress avenue under the ITA is exhausted.
"There is no predicate or serious offence committed by the accused yet as stipulated in the charge, no unlawful activity, what more emanating transactions culminating into a dealing to form a money laundering offence.
"The charges are not based on a proper appreciation and understanding of the laws involved, including the fundamental rule of law," he said.
Rosmah was initially charged in the Sessions Court 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.