This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on February 21, 2020 - February 27, 2020

KUALA LUMPUR: A businessman was told that RM5 million withdrawn from a Maybank branch here in December 2015 was for “RM”.

Razak Osman, 52, is the eighth witness in Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s graft trial, which enters its 10th day yesterday.

The witness said he was told about the sum by his friend and business partner Saidi Abang Samsuddin, Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director.

The witness said both of them have known each other for about 12 years and would frequently play golf.

Razak said one day in December 2015, Saidi asked him to meet at a Maybank branch at Medan Tuanku here, purportedly to sort out payment for a previous business transaction.

“When I arrived, Saidi asked me to accompany him as he sought to withdraw a total of RM5 million cash from the same bank.

“Following that, he asked me to accompany him to buy two luggage bags at a local shopping mall.

“When we returned to the bank with the suitcases, we went into a room known as ‘bilik tunai’, where I saw Saidi take the money from the counter and he asked me to count [it],” the witness said.

The money, in RM100 notes, were packed in transparent plastic.

He then filled each suitcase with RM2.5 million.

“I wanted to go home after that but Saidi told me to stay and follow him to deliver the suitcases. I agreed because he is a friend,” Razak said.

Saidi’s driver, Shamsul Rizal Sharbini, who had testified earlier, drove them to an unknown location near Pavillion shopping mall here.

On reaching the location, Razak and Saidi took one bag each and were ushered into a meeting room.

Following a meeting with two unknown individuals, Razak was asked to bring the luggage together with Saidi to the lobby of the building and later transferred it into a multi-purpose vehicle which he described as either a “Toyota Alphard or Vellfire”.

They then left, after which Saidi and Razak did not speak about the incident.

“I did not know who the money was for or what the purpose was. One or two months later after that incident, Saidi said the money was for ‘RM’. I don’t know [whom] he meant by that, but I did not ask as I understood that he did not want to elaborate,” he said.

The trial continues on March 9