LAVISH LIFE WITH JUST RM600,000
Ex-special officer to Rosmah must have used ill-gotten money to sustain lifestyle, says lawyer
DAT I N S e r i Ro s m a h Mansor’s former special officer continued to come under fire yesterday as he was cross-examined by her lawyer about his lavish lifestyle, which would have been impossible with a monthly salary of just RM7,000.
Lawyer Datuk Jagjit Singh accused Datuk Rizal Mansor of depending on corruption money to sustain the high-flying lifestyle, which the latter led while working for Rosmah.
Jagjit said it would have been impossible for the 45-year-old civil servant to live in a RM3.5 million house and own cars like Mercedes Benz, BMW, Audi, Toyota Vellfire and Honda Odyssey if not for income derived from corruption.
The senior counsel said he had done some basic calculations based on Rizal’s income and allowances while working for Rosmah from 2009 until 2018.
Based on the calculations, Jagjit said Rizal would have earned about RM660,282.72. The amount, he said, was grossly inadequate to buy the things Rizal owned.
“Even if you did not spend a single sen... assuming that you were just living on air, water and love, there is no way you could have had such a lavish lifestyle.
“The only way you could live like that is because you are a corrupted man.”
However, Rizal disagreed with the suggestion and was about to explain further when he was cut off by the lawyer.
During cross-examination on Monday, Rizal was also subjected to a barrage of torrid and embarrassing questions about his lavish lifestyle.
Among other things, he admitted performing the umrah almost every year while he worked for Rosmah using ill-gotten money.
However, he insisted that such
money was actually political donation and he saw no wrong in using it to go to the holy land to fulfil the religious obligation.
Rizal had also acknowledged that he lived in the RM3.5 million house and bought two bicycles made by BMC Switzerland, one of the top brands in bicycle manufacturing, which cost about RM16,000 each.
At one stage of Monday’s crossexamination, Jagjit branded Rizal as the “biggest scumbag” before he was asked to retract the word by High Court judge
Mohamed Zaini Mazlan.
Jagjit then rephrased and called Rizal the most dishonest, contemptible and despicable person instead, sometimes referring to the latter as a blatant and pathological liar.
Yesterday, Jagjit continued the mode of attack and challenged Rizal on his statement that monies which he received were political donations.
Asked if collecting political donations was part of his job while working for Rosmah, Rizal said he had solicited for such funds to further his political ambitions.
Rizal on Monday admitted that he had harboured hopes of fighting for the Umno Youth chief’s post by taking on its incumbent, Khairy Jamaluddin.
Jagjit: So you knew very well that whatever you were collecting was corrupt money and the political donations were being illegally solicited?
Rizal: My understanding is different.
Jagjit: You did not issue any receipt for whatever was collected? Rizal: No.
Jagjit: The monies you collected were never received by Rosmah?
Rizal: I totally disagree.
Jagjit: Rosmah never told you to do all this?
Rizal: I totally disagree.
Jagjit: The truth is that all your evidence is false to implicate Rosmah in the deal which you have cut with the prosecution.
Rizal: I have taken the oath to tell the truth.
Rizal had been the co-accused with Rosmah in the case. However, all four charges against him were dropped earlier this year and he has since become a key prosecution witness.
He is now placed under the witness protection programme
Rosmah is on trial for soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsuddin.
The bribes were allegedly received through Rizal as a reward for helping Jepak Holdings secure the RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project for 369 schools in the interior of Sarawak.
Rosmah was accused of committing the offences between January 2016 and September 2017.
The trial continues tomorrow.