KUALA LUMPUR: A witness told the High Court here today that Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor remained silent when Jepak Holdings managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin offered her 10% to help secure a solar hybrid project meant for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, worth a total of RM1.25 billion.
Saidi’s business partner, Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah, 41, said this during cross-examination by lawyer Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader on the 17th day of Rosmah’s corruption trial with regard to the project.
Akberdin: Do you agree that from Rosmah’s body language or facial expression, she was surprised when offered the 10% from Saidi on the first day the meeting took place at her home in Langgak Duta, around January or February 2016?
Rayyan Radzwill: She (Rosmah) was silent for a moment, whether she was surprised or not, I do not know.
Akberdin said his client informed him she was shocked when she got the offer, to which the 16th prosecution witness replied: It depends for people to interpret, for me, I think she (Rosmah) just remained silent.
Rayyan Radzwill, who is also the director of Nanocarb Technology Sdn Bhd, however, agreed with Akberdin’s suggestion that the former prime minister’s wife did not give an answer, nor did she express agreement or further negotiate the matter.
When asked by Akberdin whether Saidi had informed Datuk Rizal Mansor (Rosmah’s assistant at the time) that he intended to make a political contribution through Rosmah to Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, to ensure Barisan Nasional’s victory in the 14th General Election (GE-14), Rayyan Radzwill, replied: “Disagree”.
“Saidi only offered the money to secure the solar hybrid project,“ said the witness, who also informed the court that it was Rizal who told Saidi to offer the amount as a political contribution.
Akberdin asked the witness if he agreed that the matter of the political contribution came from Rizal’s mouth, to which the Rayyan Radzwill responded: Yes.
According to the witness, Rizal informed him and Saidi that Rosmah had allegedly increased the payment from 10% to 15% of the total value of the project.
However, Rayyan Radzwill agreed with Akberdin’s suggestion that the instruction to increase the payment did not come directly from his client, and that she never had a meeting with the witness and Saidi over the matter.
Akberdin: Do you agree, the 15% came out of Rizal’s mouth, to which Rayyan Radzwill replied: Correct.
The former prime minister’s wife is facing one charge of soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin.
The bribes were allegedly received through Rizal, as a reward for helping Jepak secure the Hybrid Photovoltaic Solar System Integrated Project as well as the maintenance and operation of diesel gen-sets for 369 Sarawak rural schools worth RM1.25 billion from the MOE through direct negotiation.
The acts were allegedly committed at Lygon Cafe, Sunway Putra Mall, Jalan Putra here; Rosmah’s residence at Jalan Langgak Duta, Taman Duta and at Seri Perdana, Persiaran Seri Perdana, Precinct 10, Putrajaya between January 2016 and Sept 2017.
The trial before Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan continues tomorrow. - Bernama
