Rosmah's case: Jepak Holdings MD withdrew RM6.5m in cash - witness

ROSMAH MANSOR TRIAL | Then Jepak Holdings managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin had on two occasions made cash withdrawals from his bank account amounting to RM6.5 million, the total sum allegedly received by Rosmah Mansor who is facing three counts of corruption in relation to the supply and installation of solar energy panels for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.

This was revealed by the third prosecution witness, Maybank officer Azimah Aziz, in her testimony at Rosmah'c corruption trial today before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan.

The 38-year-old banker, who had worked as the head cashier at the bank's Medan Tuanku branch, said Saidi had withdrawn RM5 million and RM1.5 million in cash from his bank account on Dec 20, 2016, and Sept 7, 2017, respectively.

She recalled that Saidi had on both occasions requested for the amount to be prepared in bundles of RM100 notes.

“Given that there was an insufficient amount of cash at Maybank's Medan Tuanku branch, I requested RM1 million from our main office,” she said when elaborating on the second withdrawal of RM1.5 million.

On the second transaction, Azimah said she had asked Saidi the purpose of his large withdrawal as per the bank’s standard practice to ensure its customers are not involved in scams.

"He merely said the money was for business purposes. Since he had (no intention) of talking about it, I did not ask further," she added.

Azimah then told the court she saw Saidi placing the RM1.5 million in 15 bundles of RM100 notes into two backpacks.

Under cross-examination by defence counsel Azrul Zulkifli Stork, Azimah testified that she did not have access to information on Saidi’s real purpose for withdrawing the RM6.5 million.

She insisted that she had carried out due diligence to question Saidi and accepted his response, adding she had reported the two transactions to her superior.

"So, it (the transaction) was not suspicious?" asked Azrul.

"It was not without suspicion," said Azimah.

Earlier, the second prosecution witness, MACC officer Mohd Redzuan Othman had elaborated on 10 photographs taken on Nov 2, 2018, at Rosmah's house.

One of the photos depicted the exact location where she allegedly received from the RM1.5 million from Saidi for projects to provide solar energy to rural schools in Sarawak.

He identified one of the photographs as being the third living room in Rosmah's house and another which showed a sofa at the right-hand corner of the third living room where a bag containing RM1.5 million was supposedly placed there on Sept 7, 2017.

On the day the photographs were taken, he said he went to Rosmah's house with case witnesses who were asked to separately identify the locations both within and outside the house.

“If we were at the wrong house, we would not have been allowed to enter it,” he stressed when quizzed by DPP Poh Yih Tinn on whether he was certain that he was at the right location as the case's investigating officer did not accompany them to the location.

The trial continues with its second day tomorrow. - Mkini