KUALA LUMPUR: A businessman told the High Court that he made a RM4.8mil contribution to Bersatu to “return the favour” to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin after his construction company, KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd, was awarded a RM62mil government contract.
Company director Datuk Azman Yusoff, 54, testified that KCJ Engineering had won the contract to build a road that connects Felda Bukit Jalur to Gemas, Negri Sembilan, through direct negotiations under the Jana Wibawa programme during Muhyiddin’s time in office.
He told the court that RM4mil came out of his own private bank account, while the remaining RM800,000 came from KCJ Engineering.
“KCJ and I made the RM4.8mil payment to Bersatu, although Muhyiddin was no longer the prime minister then. This was because as a businessman, I wanted to return the favour, as he had helped KCJ and me win the project through direct negotiations,” he said in his witness statement yesterday.
Azman was the 27th prosecution witness to testify in Muhyiddin’s graft trial.
The businessman said he was reminded of Muhyiddin’s spontaneous remark to him when he had first broached the Jana Wibawa subject during a game of golf at the Tropicana Golf & Country Club in July 2020.
“He (Muhyiddin) had earlier told me that any contributions should be made directly to Bersatu. I assumed it meant that Muhyiddin was expecting a contribution from companies that won projects under Jana Wibawa,” he said.
According to Azman, RM4.8mil was 7% to 8% from the project value, and that, based on his experience, the profit in road construction in a government project could reach about 15% to 20%.
Muhyiddin, 79, was charged with four counts of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM225.3mil in relation to Jana Wibawa from four companies and an individual – Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, Nepturis Sdn Bhd, Mamfor Sdn Bhd, KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd and Datuk Azman Yusoff.
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 today.
