KUALA LUMPUR: GRAFT-BUSTERS have picked up on businessman Deepak Jaikishan’s “confession” in a pre-recorded talkshow programme that he had bribed his way through Putrajaya to secure contracts.
They agreed that Deepak’s revelation could be read as an admission of guilt that breached Section 17 (b) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which also deals with giving gratification.
If he is levelled with criminal charges and convicted, he is looking at a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine not less than five times the sum or value of gratification.
The section outlaws the act of “corruptly giving, or agreeing to give, or offer any gratification to any agent as an inducement or a reward for doing, or forbearing to do... to any person in relation to his principal’s affairs or business”, among others.
He had said in the interview, that he had gifted former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, up to RM300 million in big-ticket items as well as cash.
He went on to reveal that among the gifts was a Bentley Flying Spur, a car with a RM2 million sticker price that was bought for Rosmah, but registered under one of her sons’ name.
Deepak also claimed that a house he gave to Najib was registered under one of his brothers’ name.
Among the incriminating lines Deepak uttered that piqued the interest of the graft-busters was, “I have been given various concessions and he demanded certain gratification”.
The New Straits Times asked MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Azam Baki if it was clear that Deepak had committed an offence under the Act, and if his officers would take him in for questioning any time soon.
Azam replied in the affirmative, saying that it had not escaped the commission’s attention.
The NST was, however, made to understand by those with knowledge of where this admission could land Deepak in, that the carpet dealer, once known to be a close associate of Rosmah, had been told to present himself at the commission’s headquarters in Putrajaya. This was soon after recordings of the interview were leaked on social media.
The NST contacted Deepak, but he declined to comment.
Deepak’s interview comes amid the RM656 million suit against Najib, Rosmah and two others for allegedly interfering in a property deal which resulted in his company suffering huge losses.
It is understood that a contract linked to the suit filed on Oct 12 involved a RM4.5 billion accommodation project.
Najib has since dismissed the accusations, stating that the claims in Deepak’s suit were a “complete fabrication”, adding that the latter’s accusations were illogical and that he was only seeking to cast aspersions against him (Najib) and Rosmah.
In clips of the interview, which had mostly been taken down from social media, Deepak also spoke of his attempt to contest Najib’s Pekan parliamentary seat in the 14th General Election under Pakatan Harapan.
He claimed to have met Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who declined his voluntary candidacy.
The leaked interview where Deepak pulled no punches in levelling a flurry of accusations against Najib and Rosmah, has yet to be aired, as at press time.