KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and her former aide Datuk Rizal Mansor were today charged with asking for bribes from a company to the tune of about one-sixth of a government contract’s value, just for helping the company win the RM1.25 billion project.
The wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and her former aide were charged separately in two different Sessions Court courtrooms today here, in relation to their alleged role in helping to make sure Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd received the project directly from the Education Ministry without going through open tender.
All in all, the six charges alleged that Jepak Holdings was asked to fork out a total of RM212.5 million just to secure the project, which comes up to 17 per cent or about one-sixth of the project’s RM1.25 billion value.
The project was for the supply of solar panel hybrid power systems and the maintenance and operation of electricity generators to 369 rural schools in Sarawak.
Based on the six charges, Jepak Holdings’ managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin allegedly eventually paid a total of RM7 million to Rosmah and Rizal for their roles in getting the RM1.25 billion project.
All in all, the bulk, or RM6.5 million of the bribes, was said to have been given with Rosmah as the intended recipient, while Rizal allegedly took RM500,000 for himself.
Rosmah’s two charges
Rosmah, 67, was charged with asking Jepak Holdings’ managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin to give her RM187.5 million, or 15 per cent of the contract’s value, as an inducement for her assistance to the company in getting the project through direct negotiations from the Education Ministry.
This allegedly took place between March and April 2016 in an eatery at Sunway Putra Mall in Kuala Lumpur.
Rosmah was also charged with receiving RM1.5 million in bribes from Saidi at her residence on Jalan Langgak Duta on September 7, 2017, as a reward for her aid in helping the latter’s firm get the project.
Rosmah, who is the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, stays with Najib at the latter’s private residence on Jalan Langgak Duta, Taman Duta.
Rizal’s four charges
Rizal’s charges revolve around events that all allegedly took place in 2016, where the 44-year-old allegedly sought and took bribes for himself on top of doing the same for Rosmah.
Rizal’s first charge was over his alleged request for a RM187.5 million bribe for Rosmah from Saidi to induce her to help Jepak Holdings secure the project.
Rizal’s second charge was also over his alleged corrupt soliciting from Saidi of a smaller sum of RM25 million for himself, in exchange for him ensuring that Rosmah would help the company get the project.
Both offences were said to have taken place between March and April 2016 at the same eatery that Rosmah was alleged to have asked for a bribe from Saidi.
Rizal’s third charge was over his alleged corrupt receiving of a bribe of RM5 million from Saidi on behalf of Rosmah as a reward for her assistance in helping the company receive the project, and his fourth charge was over his alleged corrupt receiving of a bribe of RM500,000 from Saidi for himself as his reward for ensuring Rosmah’s aid in getting the project.
These two offences were said to have taken place on December 20 and December 23, 2016, and at the lobby of the Pavilion REIT Management Sdn Bhd in Pavilion, Bukit Bintang and in a unit in the gated residential community Laman Damai Sari in Bukit Segambut respectively.
Penalty for the charges
All six charges are under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, for the offence of receiving bribes.
The offences are all punishable with a maximum jail term of 20 years, and a fine of RM10,000 or a fine five times the sum of the value of the bribe, whichever is higher.
Rizal today pleaded not guilty to all four corruption charges, and a bail amount of RM1 million has also been set.
Rosmah has pleaded not guilty to her two corruption charges today, and the court has granted her bail at RM1 million.
This is the second time she has been charged, with her first set of charges on October 4 involving 17 counts of money-laundering offences linked to the deposit of RM7.1 million and her failure to declare the same amount as income to local tax authority, the Inland Revenue Board. Bail for RM2 million was posted for that case.
