NSB chief operating officer Azman Kamaruddin testified that the company’s managing director, Wan Azhar Yusof, had informed him that Sayed Amir Muzzakkir Al Sayed Mohamad demanded a 5% cut of a police tender.
The cash was said to be an inducement for the accused to help the company secure the tender to maintain and supply the spare parts for the infrastructure, server, software, and RMPNET radio system for the police, worth RM381,112,042.
“Wan Azhar told me the 5% payment to Sayed Amir Muzzakkir was because NSB had won the tender.
“I was not told how or through which company the payment would be made,” he said in his witness statement during the trial of Sayed Amir Muzzakkir, 43, who faces three corruption charges involving RM350,000.
Azman, 45, the eighth prosecution witness, said Wan Azhar initially told him the accused had demanded the payment of about RM19 million in a lump sum three to four months after the letter of acceptance was issued.
“However, Wan Azhar refused to make the payment in one instalment, saying NSB did not have sufficient funds. He instead proposed paying in stages,” he said.
Azman said he did not know when Wan Azhar had met with Sayed Amir Muzzakkir as he was not present during those meetings.
“I believe Sayed Amir Muzzakkir helped NSB secure the tender because he was the political secretary to the home minister at the time.
“Wan Azhar only informed me that payments had been made, but I do not know the amounts. Only Wan Azhar signed cheques or approved online transfers to Sayed Amir Muzzakkir. I was never involved in the 5% payment,” he said.
Azman said that as the project director, he was involved in preparing the RMPNet tender documents with other staff and submitted them to the home ministry in early 2020.
He was also responsible for ensuring smooth field operations and overseeing the preparation of quotations and claims submitted to the police.
Sayed Amir Muzzakkir was charged on May 23, 2024 with two counts of receiving RM350,000 in bribes from Wan Azhar.
The offences were allegedly committed at the office of Yayasan Tanah Aku at Solaris Dutamas at 4pm on Dec 4 and 3.30pm on Dec 16, 2020.
He was also charged with soliciting a cash bribe of RM350,000 from the same individual for the same purpose at the Nexuscorpgroup office at the Section 7 Industrial Area in Shah Alam, Selangor, in early December 2020.
The charges are framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24(1) of the same law, which provides for up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
The prosecution is led by deputy public prosecutor Hazel Tan while the accused is represented by lawyers Yunos Shariff and Asmadi Hussin.
The trial before judge Rosli Ahmad continues tomorrow.