KUALA LUMPUR: Former finance minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz told the High Court that he never received personal financial benefits from the Jana Wibawa projects under the administration of former premier Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Tengku Zafrul, who was the finance minister between March 2020 and October 2021, confirmed a proposal letter from Muhyiddin that was addressed to him for the appointment of 54 companies through direct negotiations for projects already approved by Muhyiddin.
In his witness statement, Tengku Zafrul said direct negotiations meant the awarding of a project directly to a listed company without having to go through the tender process or competitive bidding with other contractor companies.
"Regarding the 54 companies and the disbursement of projects in the letter, I do not have knowledge of how the assessment of the companies and the selection of projects for each company was done by the Prime Minister's Office.
"I confirm that the companies listed in this document are listed by the PMO and not by the Finance Ministry or me," he said here on Monday (July 7).
Tengku Zafrul, who was testifying in Muhyiddin's Jana Wibawa graft trial, also said he did not know where Muhyiddin had obtained the 54 names of the companies nor how the companies were listed in the letter.
"I do not have knowledge if Muhyiddin had interests in the companies listed because he had never informed me of such a thing. Muhyiddin also never told me that he and Bersatu would be receiving donations from the companies listed.
"I confirm that I never received any contributions from the 54 companies listed. I have no knowledge that the 54 companies ever gave contributions to any political parties, or otherwise," he added.
Tengku Zafrul is the 11th prosecution witness in the graft trial of the Bersatu president.
Muhyiddin, 78, who was then prime minister, was charged with four counts of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM225.3mil in relation to the Jana Wibawa Project from three companies and an individual for the party.
The offence was allegedly committed at the Prime Minister's Office, Bangunan Perdana Putra in Putrajaya between March 1, 2020 and Aug 20, 2021.
He also faces three counts of receiving proceeds from illegal activities totalling RM200mil which were deposited into Bersatu's bank accounts between February 2021 and July 2022.
The hearing continues before Justice Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin.
