Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission investigating officer Mazery Mohd Zaini, 37, said Peter, the former Sabah infrastructure development minister, sent letters dated June 9 and 10 and July 11, 2014 to Najib’s principal private secretary, the late Azlin Alias, despite knowing that the tender was closed in May the same year.
“The tender offer was advertised (opened) on April 30, 2014 and closed on May 27, 2014. It was an open tender … 11 contractors, including Asli Jati Engineering Sdn Bhd, Dayamara Sdn Bhd and REMT Utama Sdn Bhd had applied for the tender,” he said.
The 10th prosecution witness was answering a question from deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, on the sixth day of the trial involving Peter who is facing charges of using false documents relating to a system maintenance contract.
Asked by Wan Shaharuddin about the company that won the tender, the witness replied, “REMT Utama Sdn Bhd.”
Mazery said the three letters had the same title except for the one dated July 11, which had asked for a direct negotiation for the project.
Previously, sixth prosecution witness, former chief justice Zaki Azmi told the court that the contract of Asli Jati Engineering for maintenance works in UMS, which would be expiring on Feb 25, 2015, was not going to be renewed by the university.
Zaki, 76, who was appointed as UMS board of directors chairman from April 3, 2013 to July 31, 2018, said the decision not to extend the contract was made by the university’s board of directors in a meeting he chaired on Jan 16, 2014. UMS vice chancellor Professor Dr Mohamad Harun Abdullah as well as other members of the board had attended the meeting.
However, Zaki said that around August 2014, Harun met him and said there were three support letters on operations and maintenance of the M&E system.
He said that among the contents of the support letters was that UMS supported awarding the contract work to Asli Jati.
Zaki said he had informed then higher education ministry secretary-general Zaini Ujang about it and a meeting was arranged with Najib, then the finance minister, at Parliament building.
Today, Wan Shaharuddin informed the court that Najib would be called to testify as a prosecution witness on May 19.
Peter, 50, the managing director of Asli Jati Sdn Bhd, is charged with forging a letter from the UMS deputy vice chancellor’s office dated June 9, 2014, by inserting a false statement in the title of the letter with the intention of using it to deceive the office of the principal private secretary to the prime minister at the Perdana Putra Building in Putrajaya between June 13, 2014, and Aug 21, 2014.
He also faces an optional charge as the managing director of Asli Jati Sdn Bhd over the use of a false document as genuine, namely a letter from the office of the deputy vice chancellor of UMS dated June 9, 2014, which had a false statement in the title of the letter, and he had reason to believe that the document was false, at the same place and time.
The trial before Judge Azura Alwi continues tomorrow.