Madinah says pressure also came in the form of minutes from Najib directing Mahdzir to replace the diesel genset project with the hybrid solar project

by RAHIMI YUNUS / pic by BERNAMA

A WITNESS told the High Court that former Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid was pressured to expedite a RM1.25 billion solar power supply project involving rural schools in Sarawak.

Former Education Ministry (MoE) secretary general Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamad (picture) testified yesterday that Mahdzir had complained to her about the pressure he received from former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak over the project.

Bernama reported Madinah as saying that Mahdzir told her to push the application for direct negotiation to Najib in his capacity as the finance minister at that time.

“Apart from that, pressure also came in the form of minutes dated Dec 1, 2015, and June 7, 2016, from Datuk Seri Najib Razak directing Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid to carry out the order to replace the diesel genset project with the hybrid solar project,” Madinah said in her witness statement at the Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday.

The sixth prosecution witness added that she would not have entertained Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd’s application without Najib’s minutes dated June 7, 2016.

Madinah — who was also a former auditor-general — testified that Jepak did not give a cost breakdown nor did the firm include a detailed job scope and accredited consultant appointed for the project.

As it was, she said there was no pressing need at the MoE level to expedite acquisition matters on the solar project and it was not in the ministry’s development planning.

“The electricity supply planning at the MoE then comprised the diesel genset project and extension to the electric grid line only,” she said on the seventh day of the trial.

The solar project was proposed to replace the electric generator system in 369 rural schools in Sarawak with a solar hybrid.

Najib’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, is charged with soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving a total bribe of RM6.5 million from Jepak MD Saidi Abang Samsudin through her aide Datuk Rizal Mansor in relation to the project.

Madinah said she did not know why Najib issued follow-up orders to speed-up the high-cost and high-risk project without proper planning and studies or consultation with the MoE.

“Actions taken by me from June 8, 2016, to June 23, 2016, were to carry out the written and verbal directives of Datuk Seri Mahdzir to quickly bring Jepak’s application to the Finance Ministry (MoF) as ordered by Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“Although my actions were not influenced by the actions of Rayyan (Radzwill Abdullah, Saidi’s business partner) and Datuk Rizal Mansor, they had continuously pressured me to quickly bring Jepak’s application to the MoF during that period,” she added.

Separately, Najib’s SRC International Sdn Bhd trial yesterday was adjourned until next Monday for the court to decide whether an investigating officer from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) could be compelled to give an interview to the defence before testifying in the trial.

Lead defence counsel Tan Sri Dr Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told the High Court that MACC assistant commissioner Mohd Nashrudin Amir refused to be interviewed and cancelled a meeting with the defence on Saturday.

Lead prosecutor Datuk V Sithambaram argued that the court has no jurisdiction to compel the witness to be interviewed by the lawyers prior to testifying in court.