‘Carpet man’ concedes taking RM600 mil loan
(Malaysiakini) – Deepak Jaikishan, the much talked-about ‘carpet man’ allegedly closely associated with the Prime Minister’s wife Rosmah Mansor, today came out in the open to deny claims by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin that he is in trouble over a loan scandal with a Middle Eastern bank.
He said it is true that his company had taken out loans worth a total of RM600 million with Kuwait Finance House, but stressed that at no time was he or his companies involved in any corruption to secure the loans.
Deepak said over the past five years, his company had consistently paid its dues, until the outstanding loans have been whittled down to around RM200 million.
“The allegations (written) in the Malaysia Today article is very damaging as it affects the business relationships between me or my companies and other bankers, and again (is) an attempt by people envious of me or my business to damage my character,” he said at a hastily-called press conference at a luxury hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
Deepak pointed out that although the company he uses to deal with KFH is called Carpet Group, it has nothing to do with carpets.
Rather, it deals with property speculation in the Asia Pacific region, hence the need for large capital.
He said while his name has been repeatedly mentioned by Raja Petra in previous articles, he and his family decided it was time to set the record straight after the blogger’s latest piece directly attacked him.
“The other articles didn’t really matter. This time, this article is a direct attack on me. Someone might have induced him. This is not political – it is character assassination of a businessman.
“I have no involvement with the government or government-linked companies in my business. My property business is done outside of Malaysia, and the carpet business is run by the family,” he said.
The family involvement with the renovations of the Prime Minister’s official residence at Seri Perdana only went as far as supplying carpets to the contractors.
Deepak said he has “a lot of competitors” in his property business, and he would not put it past them to run a smear campaign against him with the aim of sinking his business.
“I believe someone is behind it – people who are not happy with me in the business world. We don’t know who they really are, but we know their objective, which is directly targeted on us… We just want to go about our business,” he said.
‘RPK a mercenary’
Deepak, who appeared at ease speaking to about a dozen reporters gathered for the press conference, launched a salvo of his own at Raja Petra (left) by implying that the exiled blogger is recieving some positive “financial implications” for writing his recent article.
“This (latest article) is all spices and loads of masala. RPK has not had something spicy to disclose for a long time, but to do it at the expense of others is not fair.
“Someone might have induced him… Most bloggers are very entrepreneurial. For the right price they will write anything,” he said.
Deepak claimed that he had met Raja Petra once in 2008, before the blogger fled the country, during a dinner organised by a mutual friend at a Japanese restaurant at the Holiday Inn in Subang Jaya.
He said he had appealed to the blogger to leave him out of his scathing articles, as he wanted “nothing to do” with the country’s political machinations.
Deepak said Raja Petra is being irresponsible for writing libellous articles that are not supported by fact, and challenged him to own up to his “lies” and come back to face the music if the latter truly believes what he has written is all true.
“If you put (an article) out there to slander (people) for economic (reasons), malice or revenge, it is not fair. You must come here and defend yourself, if you are right.
“If he runs away, he is not worth two dimes,” he said.
