By Rahmat Khairulrijal | New Straits Times
A company director said she prepared five separate letters on behalf of five companies addressed to then prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin seeking projects under the Jana Wibawa programme, the High Court heard today.
Nepturis Sdn Bhd director and senior executive procurement Aliza Abd Malek said she prepared the letters on the instructions of businessman Lian Tian Chuan, better known as TC Lian.
Apart from preparing a letter for Nepturis, Aliza said she also prepared letters for Permata Rebana Sdn Bhd, Fastcoll Corporation Sdn Bhd, JM Letrik Sdn Bhd and MZ Hakujaya Sdn Bhd, companies owned by Lian’s business associates.
Aliza was testifying in Muhyiddin’s trial, where he faces four charges of using his position as prime minister and Bersatu president to obtain RM232.5 million in alleged gratification for the party, as well as three money laundering charges involving RM200 million.
Under cross-examination by Muhyiddin’s lawyer Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad, Aliza agreed that the preparation of five different letters was intended to show that the companies had no connection with one another.
Amer Hamzah: The contents, wording and paragraphs of the letters were all different even though they were prepared by you. The recipient will assume they came from different companies?
Aliza: Yes.
Nepturis is the company linked to charges faced by former prime minister Muhyiddin, who faces seven charges involving abuse of power and money laundering related to the Jana Wibawa project.
It was revealed during the trial that Nepturis had obtained overdraft facilities from Maybank in February 2022, including a RM1 million payment made to Bersatu.
Earlier, Aliza said she and Nepturis managing director Rizman Abdullah became directors and equal shareholders in 2018 after being asked by Lian to take over the company.
Aliza said Lian held no official position or shares in Nepturis, but they understood that he effectively had a 30 per cent interest in the company through funding provided by his company, Metrasys Sdn Bhd.
She said major decisions involving Nepturis required Lian’s approval.
Aliza also revealed that her company secured a RM141 million tender under the Jana Wibawa programme for the construction of the Klang Utara District Police Headquarters in Selangor.
She said the Public Works Department issued a letter of intent on Dec 10, 2021, offering Nepturis the RM141 million contract, before issuing the letter of acceptance on Jan 12, 2022.
The trial before judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin continues tomorrow.
