Not our role to be happy over someone's grief, says Sri Ram on Rosmah's conviction

The lead prosecutor in Rosmah Mansor's corruption case today credited his team of deputy public prosecutors for acting professionally throughout the trial which lasted nearly four years, adding that the question of whether they were elated over her guilty verdict did not arise. 

"We are not happy or unhappy about anything. We just do our job and we get on to the next case," Gopal Sri Ram told reporters shortly after the High Court sentenced Rosmah to 10 years in jail after finding her guilty of three counts of corruption involving a solar hybrid project.

"It is not our role to be happy about someone else's grief," said Sri Ram, who was also appointed to lead the prosecution of Rosmah's husband, former prime minister Najib Razak.

He said the judge had exercised balance in sentencing Rosmah to 10 years' imprisonment and fining her RM970 million. 

"Sentencing is never easy. As a former judge, I can tell you that sentencing is never easy. It is one of the most difficult parts of judicial life. One has to throw so many things into the balance. 

"The judge probably thought 10 years was fair, and we do not propose to appeal against any inadequacy of sentence unless the attorney-general thinks otherwise," added Sri Ram, a former Federal Court judge with more than 800 judgments that became Commonwealth legal references.

Rosmah, 70, whose husband Najib started serving a 12-year jail sentence last month, was charged with soliciting RM187.5 million as well as receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd in return for helping the company secure a RM1.25 billion project in rural Sarawak.

The bribes were allegedly received through her former aide, Rizal Mansor.

Speaking today, Sri Ram also responded to the decision to turn Rizal into a prosecution witness, saying such discretion for prosecutors was normal to ensure a conviction.

"Sometimes it is necessary for the public prosecutor to weigh in a balance, who has committed the crime and whose evidence is necessary to bring home the charge. 

"If you have, for example, a gang of robbers, and three robbers are being charged but the fourth is giving evidence against them, there's nothing unusual about it."

Sri Ram said the team of prosecutors and investigators involved in the case had acted professionally.

"I couldn't have done my job if I had not received the strong support that they provided me.

"The victors of today are my DPPs and my investigating officers.

"My DPPs performed 100%. I might have been slacking, but not them," he added.