Malaysian Court Drops Money Laundering and Tax Evasion Charges Against Rosmah Mansor

A Malaysian court has dismissed more than a dozen money laundering and tax evasion charges against Rosmah Mansor, the wife of jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak. The 73-year-old Rosmah faced 12 charges related to money laundering involving 7.1 million ringgit ($1.6 million) and five charges of failing to declare income between 2013 and 2017. However, High Court judge K. Muniandy ruled on Thursday that the charges lacked “probity, propriety and legality,” ordering a “discharge amounting to an acquittal.”

The Attorney-General’s office has announced plans to appeal the court’s decision. Rosmah had previously been sentenced to 10 years in prison on separate corruption charges in September 2022, related to bribery in a solar power project for rural schools in Borneo. She remains free on bail while appealing that conviction.

Rosmah’s wealth, including a collection of luxury handbags, clothing, and jewelry, has long been the subject of public scrutiny. Her lavish spending came under intense scrutiny after police raids on her family home in 2018, fueling criticisms of the ruling elite’s disconnect from ordinary Malaysians facing economic hardship.

Meanwhile, her husband, Najib Razak, is serving a six-year prison sentence for corruption linked to the 1MDB scandal, involving billions of dollars embezzled from the state fund. Najib has filed an appeal to serve his sentence under house arrest, with a hearing scheduled for January 6.