DEBUNKED

Rosmah’s Bribe Trial: Day 21

August 17, 2020

929

- Advertisement - [resads_adspot id="2"]

Witness accused of protecting ex-Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid.

The managing director of a company implicated in paying bribes to secure a RM1.25 billion government contract today said he did not know that a man who is on the run from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was actually the proxy of former Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.

Jepak Holdings Bhd owner Saidi Abang Samsudin also repeatedly denied that he was trying to protect Mahdzir from being implicated in any wrongdoing involving the project which his company obtained to supply solar hybrid energy to 369 schools in the interior of Sarawak.

Saidi, however, admitted that he had once sponsored a delegation of Umno members from Mahdzir’s constituency by giving the Padang Terap member of parliament RM40,000.

The 61-year-old, who is the prosecution’s 17th witness in Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s corruption trial, acknowledged this when he was cross-examined by the accused’s lawyer, Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader.

Replying to a question on an agreement which Jepak Holdings had signed with one Md Fuad Yasin, Saidi said he did not know that the latter was actually Mahdzir’s proxy.

“My company did enter into an agreement with Fuad to pay him RM60 million in instalments of RM1 million per month for five years.

“This was done after he promised to secure the necessary approvals for my company to get the project.

“The terms were that he needed to get it done within one month or the agreement would be void,” he said.

Asked how he could have placed his faith in someone like Fuad, a person that he had only met once or twice, Saidi said this was based on the latter’s assurance that he could get things done.

“I am a politician and a businessman. Fuad said he could do it, so I gave him one month and promised him RM60 million as stated in the agreement.”

Saidi, however, vehemently denied any knowledge that Fuad was actually Mahdzir’s proxy.

He also denied knowledge that MACC had since launched a manhunt to locate Fuad, who went underground after the scandal involving the solar hybrid project was exposed.

Saidi said he had only read about it recently after the trial started.

It was previously reported that Mahdzir had denied asking for the gratification when he was called to the stand in February as another of the prosecution witnesses.

Mahdzir, who is Umno vice president, also refuted allegations that he was originally supposed to be charged with soliciting bribes in connection with the project.

The trial before High Court Judge Mohamad Zaini Mazlan continues.

Rosmah is on trial for soliciting RM187.5 million from Jepak Holdings to help the company secure the solar hybrid project.