KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 — The managing director of Mamfor Sdn Bhd (MFSB) told the High Court today that he contributed RM19.5 million to Bersatu to assist his brother’s company, Sutracom Sdn Bhd, in securing the Pulau Indah Ring Road Phase Three project under the Jana Wibawa programme.
Shahradzi Shamsuddin, 44, testified that businessman Datuk Azman Yusoff contacted him in April and May 2021 and asked him to make a donation to Bersatu, saying he would assist Sutracom in securing the project.
“I confirm that the total amount I contributed to Bersatu was RM19.5 million. More than RM7 million was borrowed from my mother’s company Majulia Sdn Bhd (MSB), while RM13.7 million came from Sutracom, a company owned by my brother Shahrin.
“Mamfor’s contribution to Bersatu was made at Datuk Azman’s request, as he had said he would assist Sutracom in securing the project and told me that it could be successful,” he said.
The 20th prosecution witness said this while reading out his witness statement during the trial of the former prime minister, who is facing seven charges of abuse of power and money laundering.
In the previous proceedings, the 19th prosecution witness, Zuriedah Deres @ Musa, stated in her witness statement that Azman was the managing director of KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd.
Shahradzi added that in April or May 2021, he contacted Azman to seek assistance regarding Sutracom’s project at the Works Ministry after the company received a pre-qualification invitation from the Public Works Department (JKR), and requested the businessman to look into the matter.
Of the RM19.5 million, RM10.5 million was given before Sutracom received the letter of acceptance (LOA), while the remaining RM9 million was provided after the SST was issued.
He said that Azman did not specify any amount or percentage for the contribution, but as a businessman, he estimated that it would be between three and four per cent of the contract value obtained.
“In February 2022, Sutracom submitted a tender valued at RM605.2 million to JKR, which later issued the LOA to the company in October 2022,” Shahradzi said.
During examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, he was asked if the RM19.5 million was a donation, remuneration or reward, to which he replied, “Reward”.
The witness also acknowledged that RM19.5 million was a substantial amount and that he had never donated to any other political party.
Shahradzi noted that had the RM19.5 million not been donated to Bersatu, the funds would have been used for the company’s operational costs, savings, purchase of assets, and settlement of debts.
According to the witness, Azman did not specify the method of payment, whether by cheque or cash.
“I personally handed over the cheque at the Bersatu office in Petaling Jaya. The cheque was received by a Bersatu staff member, and I have never handed it over to any Bersatu leader,” he said.
Shahradzi also told the court that he prepared six letters of intent to bid for the project using licences from six contractor companies owned by his younger brother and an acquaintance.
The letters were prepared after obtaining consent from the owners of the six companies involved, namely Multi Skilled Engineering Sdn Bhd, Majulia Sdn Bhd, ANR Venturs Sdn Bhd, Sejagat Bakti Sdn Bhd, Smart Reliance Sdn Bhd, and Sutracom Sdn Bhd.
These were sent to Muhyiddin, who was then prime minister, to seek his support for the company’s participation in the pre-qualification tender for the project.
Muhyiddin, 79, who was then prime minister and Bersatu president, is charged with four counts of abuse of power for allegedly soliciting RM232.5 million in bribes for the political party from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, Nepturis Sdn Bhd, Mamfor Sdn Bhd, and Datuk Azman Yusoff in connection with the Jana Wibawa project.
He is accused of committing the offence at the Prime Minister’s Office, Bangunan Perdana Putra, Putrajaya, between March 1, 2020, and August 20, 2021, under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act 2009, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment and a fine of five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
The Pagoh MP also faces three charges of receiving RM200 million in unlawful proceeds from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, which were deposited into Bersatu’s Ambank and CIMB Bank accounts, allegedly committed in Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur between February 2021 and July 2022.
These charges were brought under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing, and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment and a fine of either five times the value of the proceeds from unlawful activities or RM5 million, whichever is higher.
The trial before Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin resumes tomorrow.
