KUALA LUMPUR: Former Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid had personally written to Datuk Seri Najib Razak requesting for exemption of certain documents to allow an interim payment to be made to a contractor tasked to manage the solar hybrid project for rural schools in Sarawak, the High Court was told today.
Former secretary at the ministry’s asset procurement and management department Kamarudin Abdullah, 62, said Mahdzir had on July 19, 2017, written the letter in his capacity as finance minister, for an exemption to release about RM92 million to Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd.
According to him, this was done without the knowledge of officers at the department.
Testifying in the graft trial of Najib's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor over the solar hybrid project, Kamarudin said the money was for Jepak Holdings to supply diesel to affected rural schools pending completion of the project.
"The interim payment was for the diesel supply, not for the project.
"The payment needed to be released or else the schools would be 'in darkness'.
"However, I was involved when the first interim payment was made which was between RM60 million and RM70 million," he said.
Under cross-examination by Rosmah's counsel Azrul Zulkifli Stork, the 10th prosecution witness said it was Mahdzir who instructed him to remove a clause from the Letter of Acceptance (LoA) to Jepak Holdings to make deductions from any unfinished works.
He added that whatever was not stated in the LoA could be added in the contract later.
Previously, Mahdzir testified that he instructed his officer to write the letter upon instructions of Rosmah's former aide Datuk Rizal Mansor.
Re-examined by deputy public prosecutor Poh Yih Tinn, Kamarudin said Mahdzir might have obtained the necessary information to prepare the letter from his special officer.
"The minister never called me to discuss the letter. I only received a copy of it.
"His (minister's) special officer might have obtained the information from my officers. But not from me," he said.
Trial before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan continues.
Rosmah, 69, is charged with soliciting RM187.5 million and with two counts of receiving bribe of RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings’ managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin, through Rizal, in exchange for helping the company obtain a RM1.25 billion project to provide solar energy to 369 rural schools in Sarawak.