KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — The Sessions Court was told today that Sayed Amir Muzzakkir Al Sayed Mohamad expressed his dissatisfaction with Nexuscorpgroup Sdn Bhd (NSB) managing director Wan Azhar Mohamed Yusof, whom he alleged had failed to repay RM2 million owed to him.

NSB’s independent consultant, Khairul Nizam Mohd Sayuti, 54, told the court that the former political secretary to then Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin himself had informed him of the matter during a meeting at his office at Publika on Jan 29, 2021.

“There were only the two of us at the meeting. Sayed Amir Muzzakkir asked me about projects I was aware of and could obtain in the future. He also expressed his dissatisfaction with Wan Azhar, alleging that payments were inadequate, delayed and that RM2 million remained outstanding.

“I merely listened and advised Sayed Amir Muzzakkir to follow the agreement that had been reached,” he said while reading his witness statement in the corruption trial against Sayed Amir Muzzakkir, who faces three charges involving RM350,000.

When asked by Deputy Public Prosecutor Hazel Tan Jia Qi about Sayed Amir Muzzakkir’s tone and demeanour while expressing his dissatisfaction with Wan Azhar, Khairul Nizam said he could see from Sayed Amir Muzzakkir’s body language that he was unhappy with Wan Azhar, and “his tone suggested disappointment and possibly anger”.

In response to Tan’s questions on the RM2 million debt, Khairul Nizam said he did not know the details of whether the sum was part of the agreement.

The witness further testified that Wan Azhar had asked him to inform the accused that he had given up and was unable to make the payments due to outstanding claims by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).

“I only knew Wan Azhar had to make payments to Sayed Amir Muzzakkir, but I was not aware of the payment schedule or the details of the amounts involved.

“I also did not know the total amount that Wan Azhar had paid to Sayed Amir Muzzakkir. I was not involved in, nor did I witness, any of the payment transactions between them,” he told the court.

Khairul Nizam told the court that Wan Azhar had said the accused contacted him and offered assistance to obtain PDRM equipment maintenance and spare parts supply project.

“Wan Azhar also informed me that Sayed Amir Muzzakkir and his friend would meet him at his (Wan Azhar’s) office to discuss helping him obtain the project. Wan Azhar asked me to attend the meeting,” he said.

In response to Tan’s question on why Sayed Amir Muzzakkir claimed he could help obtain the project, Khairul Nizam said: “I believed his position allowed him to assist in ensuring the project was awarded to NSB. I knew he was the Home Minister’s Political Secretary at the time”.

During cross-examination by defence counsel Datuk Yaacob Md Sam, Khairul Nizam said he did not know whether NSB had emerged as the top-ranked bidder or offered the lowest price among competing companies for the RMPNet project.

On May 23, 2024, Sayed Amir Muzzakkir, 43, pleaded not guilty to two charges of accepting RM350,000 in bribes from Wan Azhar as an inducement to help NSB secure a RM381 million tender for the maintenance and supply of spare parts for PDRM’s RMPNet infrastructure, servers, software and radio systems.

The offences were allegedly committed at the Yayasan Tanah Aku office in Solaris Dutamas at 4 pm on Dec 4, 2020, and 3.30 pm on Dec 16, 2020.

Sayed Amir Muzzakkir also faces a charge of soliciting RM350,000 from the same individual for the same purpose at Nexuscorp Group Sdn Bhd’s office in Shah Alam in early December 2020.

The charges were framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act, which provides for a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

The trial before Judge Rosli Ahmad will resume on Aug 19. — Bernama