The Malaysian Insight

ROSMAH Mansor received RM6.5 million for her role in helping Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd acquire the RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard today.

Rizal Mansor, 46, a key witness in this trial said the cash was delivered to Rosmah in two tranches.

Rizal, who was Rosmah’s former aide and the trial’s 21st witness, said he had personally delivered the RM5 million to then prime minister Najib Razak’s official residence in Putrajaya in December 2016, while another RM1.5 million was delivered to their private residence on Jalan Langgak Duta, Kuala Lumpur by Jepak Holdings’ managing director Saidi Abang Samsuddin.

On the first payment of RM5 million, Rizal said Saidi had contacted him and told him that he was ready to make the payment as promised to Rosmah.

Rizal said the RM5 million was part of the RM187.5 million that was agreed to be given to Rosmah over a period of five years for helping Jepak Holdings secure the solar project.

He said a day before delivery, Saidi had asked him for an escort after the RM5 million was withdrawn from a bank in Medan Tuanku, which was then taken to Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur.

Saidi wanted an escort as he was afraid to be carrying a huge amount of cash, Rizal told the court.

The money was to be given to a consultant, Lawrence Tee, who was tasked to prepare a consultancy agreement between Jepak Holdings and a Taiwanese company to “legalise” the political donation.

Rizal said on the day the money was withdrawn, he had arranged for an escort to follow Saidi and he also personally went to Pavilion with a friend to monitor the situation.

Rizal said while he was there, he saw Saidi arriving and bringing two big luggages into Pavilion Tower with the help of his driver and the escort he had introduced.

A few minutes later, he received a call from Saidi informing that Lawrence refused to accept the money.

“Lawrence looked uncomfortable and said he did not dare accept such a huge amount. He looked determined not to accept the money,” the witness said.

At this point, Rizal called Rosmah to explain what had transpired.

“Rosmah instructed me to have the cash delivered to her official residence in Seri Perdana,” he said.

Rizal said he followed Rosmah’s instructions, loaded the bags into his car and headed to Seri Perdana.

When he arrived at the prime minister’s official residence, two butlers were already waiting and they took the bags into the house.

“When I entered the house, Rosmah was with the bags.

“She then asked me ‘how much?’ and I answered ‘five’.

“She did not open the bags but instructed the butlers to take them into her room,” Rizal told the court.

A few days after delivering the RM5 million, Rizal asked Rosmah if she was satisfied with the amount received, to which she replied she needed a lot of money for “political purposes”. 

“She also told me more or less ‘be smart and ask them to take care of you’, in which the ‘them’ she referred to was Saidi and his business partner Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah,” he said.

Rizal, who had received RM500,000 from the agreed RM25 million from Saidi, said Rosmah had no knowledge of his personal dealings with Saidi and Rayyan. 

He also said Rosmah frequently asked him about the remaining payments Jepak was supposed to make because she had only received RM5 million from the agreed RM32.5 million for the first year.

In early September 2017, Rizal said there was a meeting between Saidi, Rayyan and Rosmah at her Langgak Duta residence. 

Rizal said Saidi arranged the meeting to deliver RM1.5 million, a portion from the agreed sum for the year.

Upon arriving at the residence, Rizal said Saidi instructed his driver to place two bags containing the cash into the living room.

“The meeting between them lasted around five minutes and after the meeting ended, I witnessed Rosmah instructing her butlers to take both bags that Saidi brought into her room,” he said.

Early this year, the prosecution withdrew charges against Rizal for allegedly soliciting and receiving bribes for himself and Rosmah.  

After Rizal finished reading the witness statement, lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram requested the court to play an audio recording released by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to identify the couple’s voices and ascertain Rosmah’s character, which the prosecution has contended that it is overbearing.

In the trial’s opening statement, Sri Ram said Rosmah occupied no official position but wielded considerable influence due to her overbearing nature. 

Rosmah, 69, faces three corruption charges, one of which is for soliciting RM187.5 million from Saidi as inducement to help the company secure the solar hybrid project in Sarawak.

She is also accused of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Saidi in 2016 and 2017. 

The trial continues tomorrow in front of judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan with the defence cross-examining Rizal. – September 9, 2020.