KUCHING (Jan 3): Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd is said to be close to settling a suit it filed with the Ministry of Education (MoE) regarding its RM300 million claim for supplying diesel and providing diesel generator set (genset) maintenance for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.
According to Jepak's counsel Wejok Tomik, the hearing of the suit filed by Jepak — which has been placed under judicial management — against the ministry scheduled for Monday (Jan 3) before Judicial Commissioner Alexander Siew How Wai did not go on as scheduled due to the latest development.
“One of the reasons for the adjournment is due to the ministry being very close to a settlement over the diesel and genset maintenance claim. I understand that this has been forwarded to higher authorities and if agreed, there is a possibility of a consent judgement being recorded,” he told theedgemarkets.com when contacted.
Wejok added that his client was hopeful that the matter would be resolved between the ministry and judicial manager as the chances of reaching a settlement are quite good. However, if a settlement could not be reached, the parties would then proceed with the trial.
“As to the solar hybrid claim made by Jepak, it may involve technical issues with the Public Works Department and its consultant. The company through the appointed judicial manager is still negotiating this,” he added.
Former Jepak managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin allegedly bribed Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, to secure the solar hybrid project between December 2016 and September 2017.
The company was awarded the project worth RM1.25 billion to help rural schools in Sarawak get electricity via diesel and solar power.
Following that, the company, which was facing financial difficulties, was acquired by QEOS Energy Sdn Bhd, which became its white knight.
QEOS Energy is said to have resumed the solar hybrid project and the diesel and genset maintenance.
Following the purported non-payment to Jepak, QEOS Energy through its group chief executive officer Dr Gabriel Walter filed a suit against the ministry seeking a claim of RM7.83 billion as reported by the Borneo Post.
Dr Walter is from the Kelabit tribe and was a former lecturer in electrical engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the US, who now has a factory in Batu Berendam, Melaka.
Wejok, who appeared with Bartholomew Lopez, said following the recent development, the judicial commissioner fixed Jan 18 as the new case management date for the case.
The judicial manager for Jepak is Datuk Mohd Afrizan Husain, who was appointed by the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
Judicial management is a method of debt restructuring whereby a qualified insolvency practitioner is appointed as an independent judicial manager to rehabilitate a financially troubled company.