Rosmah claims Rizal Mansor was an incompetent worker

KUALA LUMPUR: Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor has hit back at her former aide Datuk Rizal Mansor, whom she claims slandered her during her graft trial involving a solar hybrid project in Sarawak.

The wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said she did not have a close relationship with Rizal and refuted his statement that he was her special officer.

"My communication with Rizal was work-related only and I would mostly deal with Datuk Seri Siti Azizah Sheikh Abod directly," she said.

According to Rosmah, Siti Azizah was the actual special officer to the "first lady of Malaysia" (FLOM) at the time, while Rizal was a media officer with the official designation of assistant officer with special functions.

"When he served at the FLOM division, he was a contract worker and not part of the permanent staff.

"He reported to Siti Azizah, not me," Rosmah said.

The 69-year-old, who was reading her witness statement in the High Court here on Tuesday (Oct 5), did not mince words about Rizal, who she said was "not a competent employee".

"He could not do a good job writing my speech texts.

"He had disciplinary issues where he would go missing in action," Rosmah said.

She added that she was often dissatisfied with Rizal's work as he was like "pahat dengan penukul" (chisel with a hammer, one who only works when told) who needed to be supervised to complete his tasks.

Rosmah also refuted allegations that she ordered Rizal to establish a team of cybertroopers with RM100,000 in monthly funding.

Rosmah said Rizal, the 21st prosecution witness in the solar hybrid project trial, did not substantiate his claims on the cybertrooper issue.

"There is clearly a malicious agenda by Rizal to defame me after the charges against him were dropped by the prosecution," she said.

Rizal was initially charged with four counts of graft relating to the same solar hybrid project but was acquitted in January last year.

Rosmah is facing one charge of soliciting RM187.5mil and two counts of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5mil from Jepak Holdings' former managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin.

The bribes were allegedly received through Rizal as a reward for helping Jepak Holdings secure the Hybrid Photovoltaic Solar System Integrated Project as well as the maintenance and operation of diesel generator sets for 369 Sarawak rural schools worth RM1.25bil from the Education Ministry through direct negotiation.

Rosmah is alleged to have committed the offences at Lygon Cafe, Sunway Putra Mall, Jalan Putra here; at her residence in Jalan Langgak Duta, Taman Duta; and at Seri Perdana, Persiaran Seri Perdana, Precinct 10, Putrajaya; between January 2016 and Sept 2017.

The hearing continues before Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan on Wednesday (Oct 6).