KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — A witness told the Sessions Court today that Sayed Amir Muzzakkir Al Sayed Mohamad asked him to pay RM350,000 in cash as part of a five per cent commission after helping Nexuscorpgroup Sdn Bhd (NXG) secure a Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) project tender.

NXG Managing Director Wan Azhar Mohamed Yusof, 51, said the request was made by the former political secretary to former Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin when Wan Azhar was at NXG’s former office in Shah Alam during early December 2020.

“Sayed (Sayed Amir Muzzakkir) contacted me and asked me, ‘Can you pay 350k?, I need to use this money, cash.’ I informed Sayed that I could pay, but not in a lump sum.

“I also informed Sayed that I would pay in two instalments and Sayed agreed to that proposal,” said the main prosecution witness while reading his witness statement at the corruption trial of Sayed Amir Muzzakkir, who is facing three charges involving RM350,000.

The 16th prosecution witness said he instructed finance manager Chloe to prepare payment vouchers amounting to RM100,000 and RM250,000 on December 4 and December 8, 2020, respectively, to pay part of the five per cent commission to Sayed Amir Muzzakkir in cash before Chloe issued cash cheques.

Wan Azhar said that after cashing the cheques, he contacted Sayed Amir Muzzakkir to inform him about the delivery of the money, and Sayed Amir Muzzakkir instructed him to hand over the money at the accused’s office at Yayasan Tanah Aku in Publika.

“I handed over the money amounting to RM100,000, which was in a paper bag, to Sayed around 4pm on December 4, 2020, and the money amounting to RM250,000, also in a paper bag, was handed over at 3.30pm on December 16, 2020. During the handovers, only Sayed and I were present,” he said.

Earlier, Wan Azhar stated that he met Sayed Amir Muzzakkir in 2009 when Sayed Amir Muzzakkir began working as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Malsalink Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Dasar Jati Sdn Bhd (DJSB), while Wan Azhar held the position of General Manager at DJSB.

According to Wan Azhar, in April 2020, Sayed Amir Muzzakkir contacted him after learning that NXG had received an invitation letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) to participate in the RMPNet project tender.

“Sayed contacted me and asked why I didn’t contact him.Sayed informed me that he saw my company listed in the tender for the RMPNet project at KDN.

“At that time, Sayed was the Political Secretary to the Minister of Home Affairs, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin. Sayed also informed me that I was the only one who did not contact him, whereas other contractors entering the RMPNet tender had contacted him to ask for help in securing the project,” he said.

Wan Azhar said Sayed Amir Muzzakkir told him that he could assist and help NXG secure the RMPNet project and would introduce a friend to discuss how to help secure it.

On May 23, 2024, Sayed Amir Muzzakkir, 43, was charged with two counts of receiving bribes amounting to RM350,000 from Wan Azhar Mohamed Yusof as an inducement to help Nexuscorpgroup obtain the RMPNet tender for PDRM worth RM381,112,042.44 at the Yayasan Tanah Aku office in Solaris Dutamas here, at 4pm on December 4, 2020, and 3.30pm on December 16, 2020, respectively.

Sayed Amir Muzzakkir was also charged with soliciting a bribe of RM350,000 from the same individual for a similar purpose at the Nexuscorpgroup Sdn Bhd 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, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment 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 continues on September 22. — Bernama