Day 3 I Never Took Any Bribe From Jepak Says Mahdzir

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The corruption trial of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's wife, Rosmah Mansor, involving alleged misappropriation of funds for the supply and installation of solar energy at 369 rural schools in Sarawak continues today at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the proceedings

Summary of Rosmah Mansor's solar energy project caseThe charges are related to the Education Ministry's solar project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak
The project was valued at RM1.25 billion, and awarded to Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd through direct negotiation
Rosmah is facing 2 chargesClick to view information on judge, prosecution and defence teamsKEY HIGHLIGHTSI never took any bribe from Jepak, says MahdzirMahdzir: Najib signed minute to exempt Jepak from Finance Ministry's requirementsMahdzir: Jepak Holdings unhappy with clause in project agreementProceedings begin, Mahdzir Khalid takes oath  Gopal Sri Ram cross-examines witness11.10am - Proceeding resumes with lead DPP Gopal Sri Ram continuing with examination-in-chief on former education minister Mahdzir Khalid
Court takes short recess11am - Judge calls for a short break
I never took any bribe from Jepak, says Mahdzir10.45am - The court hears from former education minister Mahdzir Khalid that he had never solicited nor received any kickbacks from Jepak Holdings for the solar hybrid project in Sarawak
In ending his written testimony, Mahdzir testifies that he had only awarded Jepak the contract worth RM1.25 billion because he was following orders from the then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak
The witness then wraps up his testimony as a prosecution witness by signing the document. Mahdzir: Najib signed minute to exempt Jepak from Finance Ministry's requirements10.43am - Former education minister Mahdzir Khalid testifies that in July 2017, Jepak Holdings managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin and Saidi's partner Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah had met him to talk about the difficulty to get paid for its interim claims
According to him, Saidi said the Education Ministry's Finance Department refused to process Jepak's claim forms citing lack of documents
"However, I told Saidi I could not do anything to help him," the witness says
Mahdzir tells the court that a few days later, he was met by Rizal Mansor, then an aide to Rosmah Mansor, to discuss about the same matter
Rizal had allegedly asked Mahdzir to write a letter in his capacity as the education minister to ask Najib Abdul Razak, then prime minister and finance minister, for an exception to be given to Jepak
Mahdzir says he had then asked for an officer to prepare the letter, which was then sent to Najib
According to him, Najib had later put a minute on the letter, saying that he agreed to give Jepak an exception and ordered an officer in the Finance Ministry to execute the order
Mahdzir: Jepak Holdings unhappy with clause in project agreement, calls Rosmah's aide to interfere10.20am - The court hears from former education minister Mahdzir Khalid that after the Education Ministry has agreed to award RM1.25 billion project to Jepak Holdings to supply solar system for 369 schools in Sarawak in 2016, the company's executives were still unhappy with how the contract was made
According to Mahdzir, Jepak's managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin and his partner Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah had met him in November 2016 to voice their dissatisfaction over a clause in the contract
The clause that Saidi and Rayyan wanted to be taken out was a part where the Education Ministry is given the power to terminate works for schools that had been connected to grid power line
Mahdzir testifies that Rayyan and Saidi even told him then that he should not make it difficult, and that it was just a small issue to be taken to the then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak
He says that Saidi then called Rizal Mansor, who was then an aide to Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor, and passed his phone to Mahdzir
According to Mahdzir, Rizal told him not to make matters more difficult, and that the project is in the knowledge of the "ma'am"
"I understand that the ma'am he meant was Datin Seri Rosmah"
Proceedings begin10.10am - The hearing starts with DPP Akram Gharib introducing counsels that attend today's proceeding
Former education minister Mahdzir Khalid then takes his oath to testify as a witness
Rosmah arrives in court10am - Rosmah Mansor enters the courtroom as proceedings are about to start before Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan
Also seen in the court are deputy public prosecutors including Akram Gharib and Mustaffa Kunyalam. Also present are Rosmah Mansor's lawyers Akberdin Abdul Kader and Jagjit Singh
The corruption trial against Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, in relation to a government project for the supply and installation of solar energy at 369 rural schools in Sarawak worth RM1.25 billion will enter its third day today
It is expected that former Education minister Mahdzir Khalid would continue to testify against Rosmah as a prosecution witness
Last week, Mahdzir had given an explosive testimony regarding the awarding the project tender to Jepak Holdings in 2016, stating that he was pushed to do so by Rosmah, her aide Rizal Mansor and also Najib himself. - Mkini

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