KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 — The Sessions Court was informed today that the tender invitation for the Central Spine Road Project: Sertik to the East Coast Highway Intersection was sent to three contractor companies, including Nepturis Sdn Bhd.
Datuk Zulkipeli Yamat, former director of Quantity Surveying Services at the Contract and Quantity Surveying Branch of the Public Works Department (JKR), stated that the other two companies were MCS Management Sdn Bhd and CKJ Engineering and Services Sdn Bhd.
The seventh prosecution witness reported the bid prices as follows: CKJ Engineering offered RM236,945,478.60, MCS Management RM236,500,000, and Nepturis RM236,160,468.
Zulkipeli, a retired government official, noted that the Tender Evaluation Committee concluded that Nepturis’s tender, priced at RM236,160,468, was eligible for recommendation and consideration.
“I confirm that the Letter of Acceptance from JKR to Nepturis, dated June 28, 2022, indicated that the Government of Malaysia agreed to accept Nepturis’ tender offer at RM232 million for a contract period of 36 months,” he said while testifying in Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan’s corruption and money laundering trial.
In response to deputy public prosecutor Nor Diana Nor Azwa’s question about the two different values — RM236,160,468 (offered by Nepturis) and RM232 million (approved by the Ministry of Finance) — the witness clarified that the Procurement Department of the Ministry of Public Works (KKR) initially recommended the bid price of RM236,160,468.
“However, after final approval by the Ministry of Finance, the ministry set the price at RM232 million. This was subject to the agreement by both the government and Nepturis before the contract (Central Spine Road Project) was signed,” the witness explained.
When cross-examined by Wan Saiful’s lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad, the witness confirmed that Nepturis had submitted the lowest bid of RM236,160,468 compared to the other two companies.
Zulkipeli also agreed with the lawyer’s assertion that no members of the Tender Evaluation Committee or the JKR and KKR Committees had lodged any complaints with him about interference from Wan Saiful in awarding the said tender.
The witness further affirmed that he had never been contacted by Wan Saiful and did not know the politician before this.
Wan Saiful, 47, is accused of soliciting a bribe from one Lian Tan Chuan to help Nepturis Sdn Bhd secure the Central Spine Road: Sertik to East Coast Highway Intersection project from the Malaysian government, valued at RM232 million.
He is also accused of receiving RM6,962,694.54 in cash through his company WSA Advisory Group Sdn Bhd’s CIMB Bank account from Nepturis Sdn Bhd’s Maybank Islamic account as an inducement for aiding the company secure the project.
The Tasek Gelugor Member of Parliament allegedly committed both offences at the Royal Lake Club, Taman Tasik Perdana, in April 2022, and at CIMB Bank’s Bukit Tunku Branch between July 8 and September 30, 2022.
Wan Saiful also faces 18 money laundering charges involving RM5.59 million. These charges include transferring and using illicit funds to pay for a Ford Ranger vehicle, making payments to the National Sports Council of Malaysia, and transferring money to various company accounts, including Sinar Karangkraf Sdn Bhd.
The offences are alleged to have occurred at CIMB Bank’s Bukit Tunku Branch between August 12 and November 13, 2022, under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing, and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
The trial, presided over by Judge Rozina Ayob, will resume on June 19. — Bernama
