Hamzah Zainuddin’s Ex-PolSec Asked RM350k Cash Commission After Securing RM381m PDRM Tender, Court Hears

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — A key prosecution witness told the Sessions Court today that Sayed Amir Muzzakkir Al Sayed Mohamad, former political secretary to former Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, asked a RM350,000 cash payment as part of a five percent commission after assisting Nexuscorpgroup Sdn Bhd (NXG) in securing a Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) project tender.

NXG Managing Director Wan Azhar Mohamed Yusof, 51, reading his witness statement as the 16th prosecution witness, testified that the cash demand was made in early December 2020 at NXG’s former office in Shah Alam.

“Sayed (Sayed Amir Muzzakkir) contacted me and asked me, ‘Can you pay 350k?, I need to use this money, cash.’ I informed Sayed that I could pay, but not in a lump sum. I also informed Sayed that I would pay in two installments and Sayed agreed to that proposal,” Wan Azhar told the court.

Wan Azhar testified that he subsequently instructed his finance manager to prepare payment vouchers totaling RM100,000 and RM250,000 on Dec 4 and Dec 8, 2020, respectively, before cash cheques were issued. He stated that the handovers took place privately at the accused’s office at Yayasan Tanah Aku in Publika.

“I handed over the money amounting to RM100,000, which was in a paper bag, to Sayed around 4 pm on Dec 4, 2020, and the money amounting to RM250,000, also in a paper bag, was handed over at 3:30 pm on Dec 16, 2020. During the handovers, only Sayed and I were present,” Wan Azhar stated.

The witness explained that in April 2020, Sayed Amir Muzzakkir contacted him after seeing NXG listed among contractors invited by the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) to participate in the RMPNet project tender.

Wan Azhar recounted that the accused noted that NXG was the only invited contractor that had not reached out to him for assistance. Sayed Amir Muzzakkir then offered to help secure the contract and promised to introduce an associate to discuss the arrangement.

Sayed Amir Muzzakkir, 43, was charged on May 23, 2024, with two counts of receiving bribes amounting to RM350,000 from Wan Azhar as an inducement to help NXG secure the RMPNet tender for PDRM, valued at RM381,112,042.44. He also faces a third charge of soliciting a RM350,000 bribe from the same individual.

The charges are framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the bribe value or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

The trial before Judge Rosli Ahmad is scheduled to resume on Sept 22.

–NMT