KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 — Consultant Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah testified today that Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin paid him RM1 million for helping to secure the controversial solar hybrid contract.
Rayyan, who is testifying against Datin Seri Rosmah in her corruption trial in the High Court, said he received a cheque for the sum made out to him from Saidi in July 2017 and was promised an additional RM10 million for his “consultation services” for the project.
Rayyan, who is also Saidi’s business partner, said this was after Jepak Holdings received RM63 million around August 2017 as the first payment from the Ministry of Education for the project.
“Around the end of July 2017, I was told by Saidi through WhatsApp that Jepak had received the first payment for the solar hybrid project and Maintenance for the Genset diesel of around RM63 million.
“Later I had received RM1 million on my name from Saidi as consultation fee for all the work that I did to secure Jepak solar hybrid project, in August of 2017. However, I ask Saidi to turn the RM1 million as shares sales in the Nanocarb company,’’ said Rayyan, referring to his company Nanocarb, which he had personally established.
“Saidi had also said to me that he will pay me RM10 million for consultation services for the project but until now I have not received the promised monies,’’ he said.
Rayyan reportedly sued Saidi in February for non-payment of the RM10 million, claiming he was verbally promised the payment.
In his counterclaim to the suit, Saidi said Rayyan had agreed to a payment of just RM1 million and denied promising the additional RM10 million.
Jepak Holdings was awarded the project by the Ministry of Education in November 2016, to install solar hybrid systems for 369 schools in rural Sarawak.
Monies to Rosmah
Following RM63 million being paid to Jepak in July 2017, Rayyan said Saidi had asked him to arrange a meeting with Rosmah through her then-aide, Datuk Rizal Mansor, in order to deliver their “contribution” for her help in securing the project.
“Other than that, around August 2017, I have communicated via WhatsApp with Datuk Rizal Mansor to ask him to arrange a meeting between Saidi and Rosmah. I also had informed Datuk Rizal Mansor that Saidi had agreed to make payments as much as 15 per cent from the first payments for the solar hybrid and Genset diesel maintenance project, worth RM63 million,’’ he said, adding that the conversation between him and Rizal had happened on August 4, 2017.
Rayyan said that on September 7, 2017, he and Saidi went to Rosmah’s private residence at Jalan Langgak Duta.
He said he saw Saidi’s driver, Shamsul Rizal Sharbini, enter one of the living rooms there and placed two black duffle bags with orange stripes next to a sofa.
“In that meeting, Said told Rosmah that he will pay some money now and other payments will come after based on project progress payments.
“Rosmah only nodded as a sign of agreement and said, ‘Okay lah. Rosmah also was not seen to be surprised with the money. I understand that the money was given by Saidi as a thank you for award of Jepak’s solar hybrid project,’’ he said.
Only after they left the home did Saidi tell him that the two bags left at Rosmah’s residence contained RM1.5 million, Rayyan testified.
In this trial, Rosmah is facing several charges, including allegedly receiving a RM5 million bribe and a RM1.5 million bribe from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd’s Saidi Abang Samsudin on the dates of December 20, 2016 and September 7, 2017, in exchange for helping the company get the RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project.
