Rosmah graft trial: Former MoE official says Jepak did not furnish details of solar project

KUALA LUMPUR (March 9): A former education ministry official told the Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor graft trial today that Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd was required to give feedback over its proposal to implement a solar hybrid project for rural schools in Sarawak.

Kamaruddin Abdullah, 61, who served as the ministry’s asset management division secretary, said a letter of intent dated Aug 29, 2016, was issued to Jepak where the company was required to furnish detailed financial and technical requirements to the ministry within seven days, if it wanted to engage in direct negotiations over the project.

“In a letter by Jepak Holdings to the ministry on Sept 1, 2016, it said it was prepared to meet to discuss over the project. However, I found that Jepak did not submit the detailed proposal, its finance and technical plan, to the ministry,” Kamaruddin told the High Court.

The witness, who is the 11th called by the prosecution, said the then outgoing education ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Madinah Mohamad had drafted a letter dated Sept 2, 2016 to the finance ministry, seeking approval for Jepak to take over the maintenance of diesel generator sets, costing RM261.7 million, in Sarawak schools.

The letter also sought an additional allocation of RM461.7 million for 2017 and for the issuance of the letter of acceptance with regards to the RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project.

Kamaruddin said that on Nov 3, 2016, Madinah's successor Datuk Seri Alias Ahmad received a letter from the finance ministry, approving the education ministry's request to appoint Jepak through direct negotiations.

He added that the letter of acceptance was only issued to Jepak on Dec 6, 2016.

The witness was testifying in Rosmah's trial, where she is accused of accepting a RM5 million bribe on Dec 20, 2016 at the prime minister's official residence in Putrajaya and another RM1.5 million bribe on Sept 7, 2017, in relation to the project..

The witness will continue with her testimony tomorrow (March 10), before Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan.

Click here to see agricultural properties for sale in Sarawak.

Click here for more property stories.