KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here was told today that Education Ministry (MOE) officers were harassed and threatened by a businessman to speed up the approval of a hybrid solar project involving rural schools in Sarawak to Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd.
The then secretary-general (KSU) of the ministry, Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamad, 63, said she was informed about the threats and harassment made by the businessman against officers at the ministry’s Procurement and Development Division from her special officer.
“The name of the person (businessman) was Rayyan. He was harsh and threatened these officers that if they did not speed up the hybrid solar project, he would complain to the prime minister (Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak).
“Rayyan also said he wanted to meet with the KSU and my officers approached me to ask me to meet with Rayyan because they could not stand his threat and harsh words,“ she said, adding that Rayyan, however, had never threatened her.
She said this when cross-examined by counsel Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader in Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s corruption trial on the solar energy project.
Rayyan, whose full name is Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah, is a business partner of Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin.
Madinah, who retired from the service on Sept 2, 2016, said besides receiving telephone calls and messages through Whatsapp from Rayyan, she also received telephone calls and messages from Rosmah’s aide, Datuk Rizal Mansor, on the hybrid solar project.
“Datuk Rizal and Rayyan complemented one another in providing me with information and I considered them to be really ‘in touch’ with the prime minister at that time. So, I was careful in my response to Rayyan when communicating with him,” she said.
During re-examination by lead public prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram, Madinah said she never received any money from Jepak Holdings, Saidi, Rizal, Rayyan or from Rosmah over the hybrid solar project.
Asked by Sri Ram why she did not advise Najib on the project, Madinah said any communication on the project, on the issue or viability of the project was communicated by her as KSU to the Education Minister.
“I then sought the minister’s advice to which he said he would tell the PM.
“We also needed more time to assess the proposal, and we needed more information from Jepak for due diligence, such as the breakdown of financial requirements, the scope of the project and consultants that Jepak intended to hire to oversee the project, and many other related matters, that would be required by the Finance Ministry before the project could be approved.
“I had informed MOE several times on these requirements and it was not for me to overstep my boundary and go straight to the prime minister. I cannot cut the chain of command,” Madinah said.
Sri Ram: In the civil service, would you say the chain of command is unbroken?
Madinah: Yes, correct.
Rosmah, 68, has claimed trial to a charge of soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving a bribe of RM6.5 million from Saidi through her former aide, Datuk Rizal Mansor in exchange for helping Jepak Holdings obtain a RM1.25 billion project to provide solar energy to 369 rural schools in Sarawak.
It was as an inducement to help Jepak Holdings secure the Hybrid Photovoltaic Solar System Integrated Project and Maintenance and Operation of Genset/Diesel for the 369 rural schools in Sarawak, worth RM1.25 billion, through direct negotiation from the Education Ministry.
She allegedly committed the offences at three places, namely Lygon Cafe at Sunway Putra Mall in Jalan Putra here; her house at Jalan Langgak Duta, Taman Duta here, and at the Seri Perdana Residence, Persiaran Seri Perdana, Precinct 10, Putrajaya between January 2016 and Sept 7, 2017.
The hearing before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan continues tomorrow. - Bernama
