by RAHIMI YUNUS/ pic by ARIF KARTONO

FORMER prime minister’s (PM) wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor (picture) had asked for 15% of the RM1.25 billion solar power supply contract value from the company she allegedly helped in securing the job, said a witness.

In Rosmah’s graft trial, Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah, a business partner of Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd MD Saidi Abang Samsudin, testified that Rosmah’s former aide Datuk Rizal Mansor had demanded the 15% “contribution” on behalf of the accused.

Besides the portion for Rosmah, the 16th prosecution witness told the Kuala Lumpur (KL) High Court that Rizal had requested RM5 million every year for a five-year period, which was the duration of the project, for his cut.

Rayyan said Rosmah’s involvement in the solar hybrid supply to rural schools in Sarawak began in a meeting that he, Saidi and Rizal held at Sunway Putra Mall sometime in January or February 2016.

At the meeting, Rayyan said among the matters discussed was the lack of response shown by the then Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid towards Jepak’s proposal despite approval had been minuted by former PM Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak for the project to take off.

Rayyan said Saidi then thought it was best to bring Rosmah in to help get things moving.

“At this meeting, Saidi also asked Rizal what he should offer Rosmah, and we were told to offer Rosmah between 10% and 15% of the project value.

“Rizal told us to start with 10%, so that we would have some room to negotiate with her,” Rayyan said in reading out his witness statement at the High Court yesterday.

Rayyan, who is placed under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission witness protection programme, said a few days later, Rizal introduced him and Saidi to Rosmah at her residence in Langgak Duta, KL, and discussed the project.

“We talked about our proposal and how we were willing to contribute 10% of the RM1.25 billion project cost to Rosmah.

“However, she responded by saying that the political scenario then required a lot of money. She said, ‘we’ll see’ before we were told to leave,” Rayyan said at the court.

Later, on the same day, Rayyan and Saidi met Rizal again, who informed them that everything was fine but Rosmah wanted 15% of the contribution.

Rayyan further testified that he was later introduced to a person named Lawrence who worked for Tan Sri Desmond Lim, both of whom were Rosmah’s close confidants.

“Lawrence’s role was to help Jepak draft out an agreement on the payment of consultancy fees to Rosmah for helping Jepak secure the project,” Rayyan said.

Rosmah has been charged with soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving a total bribe of RM6.5 million from Saidi through Rizal concerning the project.

She was alleged to have received RM5 million cash from Saidi at her official residence in Putrajaya on Dec 20, 2016, after the Education Ministry issued the letter of award to Jepak.

The RM1.25 billion project was proposed to replace the electric generator system in 369 rural schools in Sarawak with a solar hybrid.