A FALLOUT between Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin and his partner, Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah, led to the latter threatening to expose Najib Razak and Rosmah Mansor’s involvement in a solar hybrid project for Sarawak schools, the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard today.

Former Education Ministry secretary-general Madinah Mohamad testified that she learnt of the matter from WhatsApp messages she received from Rayyan between October 2017 and May 2018.

She said Rayyan sent her many messages alleging that Saidi had committed various offences regarding the project, such as altering the terms of the original contract, making false claims and deceiving several parties into using the project.

Madinah, the sixth witness in Rosmah’s corruption trial, said Rayyan sent her the messages in the hope that she would set a meeting between him and then prime minister Najib.

She said she wanted to wrest control of the project from Saidi and Jepak Holdings.

“He (Rayyan) also threatened to expose Najib and Rosmah’s involvement in the project.

“Rayyan told me that he would expose the involvement of the PM and ma’am (Rosmah) in the procurement of the solar hybrid project to the opposition if I did not help him.”

Madinah said Rayyan sent her screenshots of WhatsApp messages from Rosmah’s then aide, Rizal Mansor, to prove that he could link Rosmah to the project should the witness fail to help him hijack the contract from Saidi.

Rosmah, who is Najib’s wife, faces three corruption charges, one of which is for soliciting RM187.5 million from Saidi as an inducement to help Jepak Holdings secure the project.

The 69-year-old is also accused of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Saidi in 2016 and 2017.

Last week, Madinah told the court that the accused had asked her to expedite the project, which was awarded to Jepak Holdings.

Reading her witness statement, Madinah, who was Education Ministry secretary-general from 2013 to 2016, said the “extraordinary” incident took place after she attended an event by the Rosmah-founded Yayasan Permata in Putrajaya.

Rosmah’s request created a “sense of urgency” as she is the wife of the then prime minister and someone who can influence Najib, the court heard.

Lead defence lawyer Jagjit Singh had said his co-counsel, Akberdin Abdul Kader, would cross-examine the witness, but this has been postponed to tomorrow as Akberdin is unwell.

Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan then ordered the prosecution to call the next witness. – February 17, 2020.