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Businessman Saidi Abang Samsudin said he signed an agreement with Md Fuad Yassin to pay the money provided he was able to get the letter of award for the project within a month.
“We gave him a month to lobby or the agreement will be revoked. I didn’t care from whom he got the letter of award,” Saidi said in the High Court when cross-examined by lawyer Akberdin Abdul Kader.
Akberdin said Saidi, the former managing director of Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd, should know the strength and background of Fuad before entering into the agreement.
However, Said said he was a businessman and could not wait much longer to get the letter of award and that was why he offered the RM60 million.
“I don’t know what Fuad’s political background was,” he said in response to Akberdin’s assertion that Fuad was a proxy of Mahdzir.
Akberdin: I put it to you that you are concealing the fact that Fuad was Mahdzir’s proxy.
Saidi: I deny it.
Akberdin: You are hiding it because you are close to Mahdzir.
Saidi: I am telling the truth that I do not know the connection between Fuad and Mahdzir.
Saidi, however, admitted that he had given RM40,000 to Mahdzir to pay for hotel bills and other expenses of Padang Terap Umno division delegates who attended the Umno general assembly in 2016.
Mahdzir is the division chief and the MP for the parliamentary constituency.
On Aug 3, Saidi’s former partner, Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah, told the court that Mahdzir had demanded 20% of the project’s cost for his contribution to securing the contract for Jepak Holdings.
However, Rayyan said this amount was reduced to RM60 million or RM1 million per month over five years from 2016.
Rayyan said this money (RM60 million) was to be paid through Mahdzir’s proxy, Fuad.
Mahdzir, in a press statement, subsequently clarified that he did not accept any bribe from Saidi as the project was approved on the instruction of then prime minister Najib Razak.
Saidi today said he had also signed an agreement to pay Pekan Umno division secretary Ahmad Aazmey Abu Talib RM50 million or 4% of the project’s cost for his assistance in getting minutes and approval letters for the project from Najib.
“This money was to be paid in five instalments over five years from 2016,” he said, adding that another 2% would be paid if the project was extended beyond five years.
Saidi, however, said he had paid RM2 million to Aazmey at several places here and in Kuantan in 2015 and 2016.
Rosmah, who is Najib’s wife, was charged with three counts of corruption for soliciting RM187.5 million from Saidi as an inducement to help the company secure the project through direct negotiations with the ministry.
She is also accused of receiving bribes amounting to RM6.5 million from Saidi in 2016 and 2017.
The hearing before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan continues.
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