PMO, Muhyiddin tak campur tangan projek IPD, mahkamah diberitahu

Former Deputy Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, is facing seven charges related to the Jana Wibawa program, a government initiative launched during the Covid-19 pandemic to aid Bumiputera contractors. A former senior staff of the Department of Works and Housing (JKR) told the High Court that the Prime Minister's Office or the then-Deputy Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, did not interfere in the construction of the Klang Utara IPD project.

Former JKR Selangor Director, Lokman Nasir, 62, gave testimony in the case against Muhyiddin, alleging a RM141 million project awarded to Nepturis Sdn Bhd under the Jana Wibawa program to assist Bumiputera contractors. During cross-examination by Muhyiddin's lawyer, Chetan Jethwani, Lokman stated that he was not involved in evaluating or selecting contractors, and Muhyiddin did not interfere with his duties.

Chetan asked if Lokman had met or received any calls from the Prime Minister during his tenure as project overseer. Lokman replied that he had not. Previously, Metrasys Sdn Bhd's Director, Lian Tian Chuan, told the court that he met former Bersatu Segambut deputy chairman Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad, a friend of Muhyiddin, to secure the IPD project for Nepturis, one of his other construction firms.

Nepturis is managed by his colleague, Rizman Akum Khan and Aliza Malek. Muhyiddin, 79, faces seven charges related to the Jana Wibawa program, an initiative launched during the Covid-19 pandemic to aid Bumiputera contractors. The former Bersatu Segambut president is charged with four offenses for allegedly requesting a RM225.3 million bribe from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, Nepturis Sdn Bhd, Mamfor, businessman Azman Yusoff, and KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd.

The charges were allegedly made between January 1, 2020, and August 20, 2021, while he was in the Prime Minister's Office. He also faces three charges of misappropriation of public funds, involving RM200 million reportedly received from Bukhary Equity and deposited in the Bersatu account at AmBank and CIMB Bank. Counsel for the prosecution, Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin and Nur Iman Wan Ahmad Afzal, appeared for the prosecution today. The cross-examination will continue tomorrow.