Former Sabah infrastructure development minister Datuk Peter Anthony tried to secure a tender for Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) maintenance works by sending a direct negotiation letter to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Sessions Court heard today.
He sent the letter to the then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s principal private secretary, the late Datuk Azlin Alias, a month after the tender was closed.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigation officer Mazery Mohd Zaini said this when testifying as the 10th prosecution witness in the trial.
He said the tender was initially opened for the public in April 2014 and 11 contractors had applied for the tender to do maintenance work for mechanical and electrical systems at UMS.
This included Asli Jati Engineering Sdn Bhd – a company owned by the accused.
“One of the contractors – RE MT Utama Sdn Bhd – won the tender after it was closed in May.
“However, Anthony then sent several letters to Najib between June and July, asking for a direct negotiation for the project,” he said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin.
Meanwhile, Wan Shahruddin when met after the proceeding said Najib was expected to testify as prosecution witness as soon as the trial resumes after the Hari Raya holidays.
“He one of our key witnesses and will take the witness stand on May 19,” he said.
In July last year, Anthony was charged as the managing director of Asli Jati Engineering Sdn Bhd with falsifying a document.
The document was with regards to a purported collaboration with UMS to fund and set up an M&E technical training centre via direct negotiation in July 2014.
The 50-year-old Parti Warisan Sabah vice-president was also charged at the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court in June the same year, with money laundering and criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving the purchase of Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) land. – NST