Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor has denied that the voices in the “Can I advise you something?” audio clips belong to her and her husband, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Testifying in her own defence at the High Court trial for corruption against charges related to the RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project in Sarawak, Rosmah said it could not be proven that she and her husband were the duo recorded.
She made the denial repeatedly during cross-examination by lead deputy public prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram.
She also dismissed the contents in the recording as “utterly rubbish”.
This came after Sri Ram requested the court to play the recording before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan.
Sri Ram: Is that your voice?
Rosmah: I don’t know.
Former education minister Mahdzir Khalid, a prosecution witness, had told the court that the woman’s voice in the recording was that of Rosmah while the man’s voice was that of Najib.
Another prosecution witness, Rizal Mansor, a former aide of Rosmah, had also identified the female voice as hers.
The last time around, the court heard the first 10 seconds of the recording where Rosmah was heard telling Najib, “Can I advise you something?” with the former prime minister telling his wife that he needed to get into the car first.
Today, Sri Ram obtained confirmation from Rosmah that she was present in court last year when the audio was played.
Sri Ram: Is that your voice and that of Najib?
Rosmah: No, scientific evidence was not produced (on this).
Sri Ram: But several witnesses said so.
Rosmah: You believe that?
Sri Ram: You do not question me. I am questioning you, and you answer me.
Rosmah: I am just thinking out loud.
Sri Ram: I am not going to argue with you. Just answer, agree or disagree.
Rosmah: Jangan jerit (Do not shout). I am not used to people shouting at me.
Sri Ram: Witnesses have identified the voices to be yours and your husband’s.
Rosmah: I disagree.
Sri Ram: You were in court and heard when the witnesses gave evidence, saying it was your voice and your husband’s. Agree?
Rosmah: Yes, I heard.
Sri Ram: It was never put to them (witnesses) that it was your voice or your husband’s. Agree with me, you could have instructed your counsels to put it to my witnesses that it was not your voice or your husband’s.
Rosmah: My Lordship, I disagree.
Sri Ram then requested the court to play the audio and after questioning her, she said: “I don’t know.”
Sri Ram told Zaini there was no purpose in playing the audio and continued with his cross-examination.
Rosmah also disagreed with Sri Ram that she made several references on appointments of public officers to Najib in the recording.
She also dismissed Sri Ram’s suggestion that she was distancing herself from the recording as she was advising Najib on the appointments.
Sri Ram: I put it to you that the contents in the audio are true.
Rosmah: Utterly rubbish.
She also disagreed with the evidence of Mahdzir, Rizal, former education ministry secretaries-general Madinah Mohamad and Alias Ahmad.
Rosmah, 69, is accused of soliciting RM187.5 million from former Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin, through Rizal, as an inducement to help the company secure the solar project through direct negotiation with the education ministry.
She is also accused of two counts of receiving bribes amounting to RM6.5 million from Saidi between 2016 and 2017.
The hearing before Zaini continues.