Saidi wants approval expedited for boss's project - Witness

Jepak Holdings managing director, Saidi Abang Samsudin had asked the then Finance Ministry’s Government Procurement Division secretary, Datuk Othman Semail to expedite the approval process for the hybrid solar project in Sarawak, claiming that it was the boss’s project, the High Court here heard today.

Saidi’s business partner, Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah, 41, said to him, the ‘boss’ meant by Saidi was the prime minister.

"Datuk Othman Semail replied that he disliked this way of asking for a project and that he was working for the ‘rakyat’ (people) and not for politicians.

"He also said that it was unfair for other contractors if only Jepak were to be given the project. We then left his office without any decision made," he said, adding that the meeting with Othman was in the latter’s office at the Finance Ministry in Putrajaya in August, 2016.

The 16th prosecution witness was testifying on the 16th day of the corruption trial of Rosmah Mansor, 68, who is facing a charge of soliciting RM187.5 million and two other charges of receiving bribe of RM6.5 million from Saidi.

The bribe was received through her then aide, Datuk Rizal Mansor as gratification for helping Jepak Holdings to secure the Hybrid Photovoltaic Integrated System and maintenance and operation of genset-diesel worth RM1.25 billion for 369 rural schools in Sarawak through direct negotiation with the Education Ministry.

Rosmah allegedly committed the offences at Lygon Cafe, Sunway Putra Mall, Jalan Putra, here; her residence in Jalan Langgak Duta, Taman Duta and at Seri Perdana, Persiaran Seri Perdana, Presint 10, Putrajaya, between January 2016 and Sept 7, 2017.

From his witness statement, Rayyan Radzwill said after that meeting, he and Saidi met with Rizal to whom he complained about Othman’s unfriendly reception and his belittling of Rosmah.

Rayyan Radzwill, who is also Nanocarb Technology Sdn Bhd (Nanocarb) director, said Rizal told them that he would inform Rosmah about the matter.

He said a few days later, Rizal met up with him and Saidi at a shopping mall here, saying that he had passed on their complaint to Rosmah who then reported the matter to her husband, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“Datuk Seri Najib was said to have then contacted Othman and pressured him to expedite the approval process by the Finance Ministry for the solar project offer to Jepak through direct negotiation with the Education Ministry.

"Datuk Rizal Mansor also assured us that everything had been arranged and that we only needed to wait for the Education Ministry to issue the Letter of Intent.

“A few weeks after that, Datuk Rizal sent me a WhatsApp message stating that Datuk Othman had issued the approval letter to the Education Ministry to issue the Letter of Intent to Jepak," he said.

The hearing before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan continues tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA