This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on February 18, 2020
KUALA LUMPUR: A misunderstanding caused the falling out of two representatives, business partners Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah and Saidi Abang Samsudin of Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd, leading to Rayyan attempting to take control of the solar hybrid project, said a witness.
This was revealed by former education ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamad (pic), the sixth witness in Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s graft trial.
Madinah retired from the position on Sept 2, 2016. However, Rayyan continued to send her text messages from November 2017 to May 2018, the witness said.
“Rayyan accused Saidi of misdoings in the solar hybrid project such as changing the contract’s terms, making false claims and cheating several parties of their money by using this project as an excuse,” Madinah said.
According to Madinah, Rayyan made these assertions so she would help arrange a meeting between him and then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, with the intention of taking over the project from Saidi and Jepak.
“Rayyan also told me that he would reveal the involvement of ‘PM’ and ‘Ma’am’ in the solar hybrid project to the opposition at that time if I did not help him with his request,” Madinah said.
Madinah had previously said she understood “PM” to be prime minister or Najib, and “Ma’am” — Rosmah.
“Rayyan also sent screenshots of WhatsApp messages to me to show Datuk Rizal Mansor’s (Rosmah’s aide) involvement and ‘Ma’am’ in the proposal of the project and that he would reveal these if I did not help him in taking over the project from Saidi. I sent these screenshots through my mobile phone to the investigating officer,” the witness said.
After her retirement, Madinah was appointed auditor-general from February 2017 to 2019.
As the auditor-general at the time, Madinah said she instructed her officers to audit the education ministry’s payments to Jepak given Rayyan had previously told her via a text message that the payments were not organised. The audit was performed in the first quarter of 2018.