The wife of ex-Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has been found guilty of soliciting and receiving bribes.

Rosmah Mansor had previously pleaded not guilty to three charges totalling 194m ringgit ($43m; £37m) linked to a solar energy project in Sarawak.

But on Thursday a High Court judge found the former first lady guilty on those charges.

The judgement comes days after her husband Najib began serving a 12-year jail sentence for corruption.

The charges carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, and a fine of up to five times the amount of the bribe.

The 70-year-old is known for her love of luxury goods and jewellery. When Malaysian police raided the couple’s properties in 2018, they found a $1.6m gold and diamond necklace, 14 tiaras and 272 Hermes bags.

Rosmah sat quietly in the dock as High Court judge Zaini Mazlan delivered the verdict on Thursday afternoon.

“I must admit that I’m very sad with what happened today,” she said tearfully to the judge after the verdict was delivered, according to a Reuters report.

“Nobody saw me taking the money, nobody saw me counting the money…. but if that’s the conclusion, I leave it to God.”

The Kuala Lumpur court began mitigation on Thursday afternoon, ahead of sentencing. It is unclear when she will start serving a prison sentence, as her legal team could launch a lengthy appeals process.

Rosmah still faces 17 other charges of money laundering and tax evasion. She has pled not guilty to these charges.