Metrasys Sdn Bhd director Lian Tian Chuan says another businessman, Azman Yusoff, introduced him to the former Segambut Bersatu deputy chief in 2020.
Metrasys Sdn Bhd director Lian Tian Chuan, 54, a prosecution witness in former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s corruption trial, said another businessman, Azman Yusoff, introduced him to Adam in 2020, describing Adam as Muhyiddin’s close friend and golf buddy.
Lian said he told Azman, who was the president of a Bumiputera contractors’ association, that he was interested in securing a Jana Wibawa project through one of his other construction companies, Nepturis Sdn Bhd, which his partners Rizman Akum Khan and Aliza Malek managed.
According to Lian, Azman told him that companies interested in Jana Wibawa projects needed Muhyiddin’s backing, prompting him to arrange a meeting with Adam in December 2020.
“Adam told me that he had close ties with Muhyiddin and could help me get a project,” Lian said in his witness statement.
Lian said Adam later informed him of a Jana Wibawa project to build the Klang Utara police headquarters and instructed him to prepare a letter of interest addressed to Muhyiddin to support Nepturis’s pre-qualification tender application.
He then instructed Aliza to prepare five letters, including four from companies he had “borrowed” to participate in the pre-qualification tender, before handing the documents to Adam to obtain Muhyiddin’s approval.
Aliza had previously testified that the five companies were Nepturis, Fastcoll Corporation Sdn Bhd, MZ Hakujaya Sdn Bhd, Permata Rebana Sdn Bhd and JM Letrik Sdn Bhd.
Lian said Azman later told him to contribute RM1 million to Bersatu if Nepturis secured the police headquarters project, claiming Adam had sought Muhyiddin’s support. Muhyiddin, the Bersatu president, was the prime minister at the time.
He added that Azman also proposed appointing his company, KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd, as a consultant to provide advisory services and conduct market research on suppliers for finance ministry and public works department pre-qualification tenders. Lian agreed to pay the company a RM1 million consultancy fee.
On Jan 12, 2022, Nepturis was awarded the RM141 million contract to build the Klang Utara police headquarters.
A month later, Lian said he handed Azman a RM1 million cheque for Bersatu.
Muhyiddin, 79, faces seven charges linked to the Jana Wibawa programme. He is charged with four counts of abusing his position to solicit RM225.3 million in bribes for the party from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, Nepturis, Mamfor Sdn Bhd and Azman.
He also faces three money laundering charges involving RM200 million allegedly received from Bukhary Equity and deposited into Bersatu’s accounts with AmBank and CIMB Bank.
The defence team comprises Amer Hamzah Arshad, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Rosli Dahlan, Chetan Jethwani, K Kumaraendran, Kee Wei Loon, Low Wei Loke, Siti Summaiyah Ahmad Jaafar, Lee Yei Wei, Tang Jia Yearn and Joshua Tay.
The prosecution team comprises Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, Ahmad Akram Gharib, Noralis Mat, Mahadi Jumaat, Alis Izzati Azurin Rusdi and Safari Abdullah.
The trial before Justice Noor Ruwena Nurdin continues tomorrow. - FMT
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