KUALA LUMPUR: Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's former Special Officer today opened a can of worms on how he felt invincible even after a businessman who had arranged for bribes to be paid to him and his boss, threatened to expose everything back in 2018.
Datuk Rizal Mansor said at that time he knew nothing would happen as Rosmah was, at the time, the Prime Minister's wife.
The 45-year old key witness in Rosmah's trial said he found out that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had started investigating Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsuddin over a RM1.25 billion project sometime in February or March of 2018.
He said the graft busters were alerted to the scandal when Saidi's business partner Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah lodged a report after the latter was not paid his share of the loot.
Rizal said Rayyan once sent him a few WhatsApp messages saying that he wanted to inform Rosmah about what had happened.
However, Rizal said he told Rayyan to sort the problems he had with Saidi out.
Rayyan, he said, became angry after that and threatened to expose everyone including how Rosmah and her husband, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, and others were involved in the dealings which led to Saidi's company being awarded the project.
"I remember Rayyan even threatened me that he would ensure I ended up in jail.
"However, at that time I feared nothing...I never thought any investigation would lead to me and Rosmah because she was the Prime Minister's wife."
All this changed just months later after the 14th General Election was held and the new government took over.
Rizal said he panicked upon learning that Saidi and Rayyan were picked up by the MACC.
"I decided to pack my bags and flee to Jakarta.
"The MACC contacted me to turn myself in but I asked them for some time. I eventually decided that I could not run forever and decided to return to Malaysia.
"I was subsequently detained and remanded for six days before being charged with four counts of corruption," he said.
The prosecution has however dropped all charges against Rizal after turning him into a witness against Rosmah.
Earlier, Rizal gave a detailed account on his role in helping Rosmah secure kickbacks from Jepak Holdings for helping the company get the billion ringgit contract.
He listed out how Saidi had withdrawn RM5 million and later another RM1.5 million to be given to Rosmah and how everything transpired.
Rosmah is on trial for soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Saidi.
The bribes were allegedly received through Rizal as a reward for helping Jepak Holdings secure the RM1.25 bllion solar hybrid project for 369 schools in the interior of Sarawak.
Rosmah was accused of committing the offences between January 2016 and Sept 2017.