Ex-Malaysian premier's wife sentenced to 10 years in jail for corruption

By Idris Sulun

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AA) – The wife of a former Malaysian prime minister, Rosmah Mansor, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined 970 million Malaysian ringgit (approximately $216 million) for corruption on Thursday.

Malaysia's Supreme Court found Mansor guilty of soliciting and receiving bribes to assist solar firm Jepak in winning a government project worth 1.25 billion Malaysian ringgit (about $279 million) in Sawarak state in 2016 during her husband’s tenure.

While the Supreme Court sentenced her to 10 years in prison and ordered her to pay 970 million Malaysian ringgit (about $217 million), the court judge allowed her to remain free on bail.

Rosmah Mansor, referring to herself as "Malaysia's former First Lady," fell into tears after the verdict was read aloud in court.

Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak was sentenced to 12 years in prison after the country's top court upheld his conviction in a corruption scandal a week earlier.

The scandal came to light in 2015 when then-Prime Minister Razak was accused of channeling $700 million from the company's fund – known as the 1MDB scandal.