FORMER education minister Mahdzir Khalid agreed to testify against Rosmah Mansor so as to protect himself from prosecution by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard today.

Defence lawyer Jagjit Singh said Mahdzir was facing two charges over a solar hybrid project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, but brokered a deal with the anti-graft agency.

Jagjit asked the ex-minister whether he was informed by MACC that he would be charged on November 30, 2018 over the project, which fell under the Education Ministry.

Mahdzir declined knowledge of this, but the lawyer suggested otherwise.

Jagjit said after Mahdzir learnt that he was going to be charged, he hired a lawyer, one “Datuk Vignesh”, to broker a deal with MACC.

Vignesh used his friendship with lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram to negotiate an agreement with the prosecution, he said.

Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib protested against Jagjit’s line of questioning, telling judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan that the defence must call the witness to back its claim.

Another of Rosmah’s lawyer, Akberdin Abdul Kader, said the defence can pose any question to the witness during cross-examination.

Zaini allowed the defence to continue with its line of questioning, but reminded the lawyers to be fair to the witness.

Jagjit then told the court that Vignesh struck a deal with the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) so that Mahdzir would not be charged, and in return, Mahdzir would testify against Rosmah and her husband, former prime minister Najib Razak.

Jagjit: I’m putting it to you that Datuk Vignesh struck a deal with the AGC not to charge Mahdzir, so that he’ll be a star witness to implicate Najib and Rosmah. On November 28, 2018, you met Ashraf (full name not given), a DPP from MACC, outside the office. You asked Datuk Vignesh to write a letter of representation to negotiate a deal. Agree or disagree?

Mahdzir: Disagree.

Earlier today, Jagjit accused Mahdzir of being the “most corrupt” education minister for agreeing to approve the solar project in exchange for a RM60 million kickback.

Yesterday, Mahdzir told the court that he neither solicited nor received a bribe from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin in connection with the said project.

He said the project’s contract, worth RM1.25 billion, was awarded to Jepak because he was following Najib’s orders, adding that he was also pressured by Saidi’s “team” to award the project to the company.

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

She is also accused of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Saidi in 2016 and 2017. – February 11, 2020.