A WITNESS at Rosmah Mansor’s graft trial today confirmed that Jepak Holdings’ managing director, Saidi Abang Samsudin, made two cash withdrawals amounting to RM6.5 million on two occasions.

Maybank Medan Tuanku branch assistant manager Low Ai Lin told the court Saidi withdrew RM5 million on December 20, 2016 and another RM1.5 million on September 7, 2017.

The 11th witness said on December 20, 2016, RM6 million was deposited into Saidi’s Maybank Islamic account via a Real-time Electronic Transfer of Funds and Securities System (Rentas) transaction.

On the same day, the witness said Saidi issued a cheque to withdraw RM5 million via cheque number 198979. She confirmed that the withdrawal took place at the Maybank Medan Tuanku branch in Kuala Lumpur.

Ai Lin then read the bank statement and said as of December 31, 2016, Saidi’s bank balance stood at RM3.16 million.

As for the other transaction, Ai Lin said Saidi made a withdrawal of RM1.5 million on September 7, 2017 via cheque number 169589 at the same branch.
 
Ai Lin also said that she checked Saidi’s account on July 18, 2018 and found it to be active with a balance of RM416.26. Saidi had opened his Maybank account on March 27, 2009.

Deputy public prosecutor Idham Abdul Ghani questioned Ai Lin on whether there were any complaints made on the two withdrawals. The witness replied that there were no complaints from anyone on the withdrawals until today.

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

In the opening statement of this trial, ad hoc prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram had told the court that Saidi had given Rosmah RM5 million in cash after the Letter of Award was issued to Jepak by the Education Ministry. The money was delivered to Rosmah’s official residence in Putrajaya.

The solar contract was executed on June 20, 2017. The Education Ministry then released a series of payments to Jepak. Later, another RM1.5 million was delivered by Saidi in cash to Rosmah’s Langgak Duta residence on September 7, 2017.

The amount Saidi withdrew tallies with the total RM6.5 million Rosmah is accused of receiving in 2016 and 2017.

Earlier, the prosecution’s third witness, Azimah Aziz, chief cashier at Maybank’s Medan Tuanku branch, verified that Saidi withdrew RM6.5 million in cash from the bank. – March 10, 2020.