FORMER education minister Mahdzir Khalid did not ask for kickbacks in the solar project over which Rosmah Mansor is facing corruption charges, the Kuala Lumpur High Court was told today.

Jepak Holding Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin, under cross-examination by defence lawyer Akberdin Abdul Kader, said there was never an agreement between the company and Mahdzir that the latter would be paid for his role in the RM1.25 billion project.

Akberdin: (Do you) agree with me, in the beginning, for his contribution and help, Mahdzir asked for 20% of the total project cost, which is RM250 million?

Saidi: He never asked.

Akberdin: Think carefully. First he asked for 20% of the total project cost, and then you said it was too much, and later offered him RM60 million?

Saidi: There was no such agreement. 

Akberdin next asserted that Jepak had reached such an agreement with Mahdzir’s proxy, one Md Fuad Yassin.

Saidi conceded that there was an agreement with Fuad, whom he described as a politician, but that he did not know what kind of relationship Fuad had with Mahdzir.

Saidi said at the time, he had known Fuad only for a few weeks but had nevertheless offered him RM60 million if he was able to within a month secure for Jepak a letter of award (LOA) for the contract to outfit rural schools in Sarawak with a solar energy system.

“One month was given to him to lobby and if he failed to secure the LOA, then the agreement would be revoked,” Saidi told the court.

Akberdin said it was strange that Saidi had made such an offer to someone he barely knew.

Saidi replied: “He said he could get the LOA in a month. That’s his strength. I’m a businessman and I don’t like to waste my time on someone who cannot get the LOA for me.”

Akberdin put it to Saidi that he was obscuring the facts to hide the truth that Fuad was actually Mahdzir’s proxy. 

The defence lawyer accused Saidi of attempting to protect the former minister, which the witness denied.

Akberdin: You’re covering up the facts because you’re close to Mahdzir.

Saidi: What you say is not true. I’m not protecting anyone and what I’m saying is the truth. 

Fuad is wanted by the Malaysian Anti-corruption Commission.

Mahdzir is the Padang Terap MP and an Umno division chief. He is also chairman of Tenaga Nasional Bhd.

Saidi today admitted that he had paid RM40,000 fo the hotel expenses of delegates from Mahdzir’s constituency when they came to Kuala Lumpur for the Umno general assembly in 2016. 

Saidi’s testimony differed from that of his business partner Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah, who told the court earlier in the trial that Mahdzir had asked for “habuan” (reward) for helping Jepak to secure the solar project.

Rayyan said the then minister had demanded 20% of the project’s value.

Rayyan said that there was an agreement to pay RM60 million to Mahdzir, at the rate of RM1 million a month for five years.

Mahdzir denied the accusation when he earlier took the stand as prosecution witness.

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

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

Hearing continues tomorrow. – August 17, 2020.