Datuk Rizal Mansor leaving the Kuala Lumpur Court complex on Dec 12. - AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The case of four corruption charges over a solar hybrid system project for rural schools in Sarawak involving Datuk Rizal Mansor and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, will be heard in the High Court here.
Rizal is the former special officer to the former prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Lawyer Ridha Abdah Subri, representing Rizal, informed Sessions Court judge Rozina Ayob that the defence had filed an application on Dec 5 to transfer the case to the High Court.
"Today has also been fixed for case management,” the lawyer said on Wednesday (Dec 12).
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy public prosecutor, Ahmad Akram Gharib, said the commission had no objection to the application.
The court then set Jan 10, 2019, for case mention.
Last Nov 15, Rizal, 44, pleaded not guilty to four counts of soliciting for and accepting bribes for himself and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor amounting to RM5.5mil, involving the supply of equipment and installation of the solar hybrid system for rural schools in Sarawak.
In the first charge, he was accused of soliciting, on behalf of Rosmah, RM187.5mil, which was 15% of the contract value, from Saidi Abang Samsudin, the managing director of Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd.
The money was an inducement for Rosmah to assist the company in securing the Hybrid Photovoltaic System Integrated Project and the maintenance and operation of the gen sets/diesel for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, worth RM1.25bil through direct negotiation from the Education Ministry.
In the second charge, Rizal was accused of soliciting RM25mil for himself from Saidi to ensure that Rosmah would assist Jepak Holdings with getting the project.
Both offences were allegedly committed at Lygon Cafe, G-24, Ground Floor, Sunway Putra Mall, 100, Jalan Putra, Chow Kit, here, between March and April 2016.
On the third charge, Rizal was accused of receiving RM5mil on behalf of Rosmah from Saidi as a reward for her for assisting Jepak Holdings to obtain the same project.
The offence was allegedly committed at the REIT Management Sdn Bhd lobby, 168, Pavilion, Jalan Bukit Bintang, here, on Dec 20, 2016.
Rizal was also charged with receiving RM500,000 for himself from Saidi as a reward in ensuring that Rosmah assisted Jepak Holdings to obtain the same project.
He allegedly committed the offence at No. 1, Laman Damai Sari, Jalan 1/61, Bukit Segambut, here, on Dec 23, 2016.
The charges were made under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.
The offences are punishable under Section 24 of the same act, which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine not less than five times the amount or value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher. - Bernama
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