Bernama file photo for illustration purposes.
KUALA LUMPUR: A former driver told the High Court here yesterday that a ‘Malay man’ who was armed and wearing dark jacket, accompanied him before two heavy black luggage bags were delivered to Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s former aide, Datuk Rizal Mansor in late 2016.
Shamsul Rizal Sharbini, 42, former driver to Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang said this happened outside Maybank in Jalan Tunku before he drove his employer to Pavilion Mall to meet Rizal.
The fourth prosecution witness said Saidi and his friend Razak Othman carried each bag and placed them in the car boot.
“All of a sudden, a ‘Malay man’ in dark jacket entered the car and sat at the back next to Razak. I do not know the man but he looked like a police personnel as he was armed with a pistol,” he said on the second day of Rosmah’s trial for corruption involving a solar hybrid project.
Reading out his witness statement, Shamsul Rizal said when they arrived at the lobby of a building next to the Pavilion Mall, Saidi ordered him to remove both the bags.
“I had to carry them one at a time as the bags were too heavy for me to lift at one go. As I was bringing in the bags, I saw Rizal standing in the building lobby.
“Saidi and Razak took over the bags and they were accompanied by the ‘Malay man’. i do not know where they went as I had to leave to move the vehicle.
“Hardly half an hour later, Saidi called and instructed me to pick him up at the place where they had alighted earlier. When I got there, I saw the two luggage bags were already in a Toyota Vellfire car there,” he said.
The witness also said that, when leaving the place, only Saidi and Razak boarded the vehicle. The ‘Malay man’ did not follow them.
“While in the car, Saidi jokingly said who was that (Malay man) who got into the car. What if he had killed us. Razak just laughed on hearing that,” he said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P. Kunyalam.
Earlier the witness said the two pieces of luggage were purchased by Saidi and Razak at Pertama Complex, here in late 2016.
Rosmah, 68, had pleaded not guilty to a charge of soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving a bribe of RM6.5 million from Saidi through Rizal for the project.
It was as an inducement to help Jepak Holdings secure the Hybrid Photovoltaic Solar System Integrated Project and Maintenance and Operation of Genset/Diesel for the 369 rural schools in Sarawak, worth RM1.25 billion, through direct negotiation from the Education Ministry.
Rosmah allegedly committed the offences at three places, namely Lygon Cafe, Sunway Putra Mall in Jalan Putra, at her house in Jalan Langgak Duta, Taman Duta and at Seri Perdana Residence, Persiaran Seri Perdana, Precinct 10, Putrajaya between Jan 2016 and Sept 7, 2017.
The hearing before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan continues on Monday. — Bernama