Khir Toyo paid landscape artist over RM6 million, court told
By Shazwan Mustafa KamaL, The Malaysian Insider
A landscape artist told the High Court today that he was paid more than RM6 million to design Dr Mohd Khir Toyo’s Balinese-style mansion.
Nasir Ismail, who is the prosecution’s third witness in the corruption trial of the former Selangor mentri besar testified that the payments were in several instalments — five from Datuk Shamsuddin Hayroni, and eight from Dr Khir.
Each instalment amounted to RM500,000, said Nasir.
“I received payment of RM500,000 in cash from Datuk Shamsuddin (Hayroni) four to five times,” Nasir told the court today. “I said I needed payment and he said he would report it to Datuk Seri (Khir).”
The landscape artist said that Dr Khir had appointed Shamsuddin, who is Ditamas Sdn Bhd director, to handle all issues regarding the renovation of the mansion, because he (Dr Khir) “did not have the time” to handle it personally.
“I went to see Datuk Seri (Dr Khir) at his official residence for the rest of the fees,” Nasir said. “I received RM500,000 in payments in instalments for seven, eight times.”
Nasir said he received all the payments in cash because he was declared a bankrupt in 1998 and that there were no receipts for payments as Dr Khir wanted it that way.
“The master of the house did not want to make any documents,” said the 55-year old landscape artist in reference to the Sungai Panjang assemblyman.
Nasir said his first impression upon seeing the house was that it belonged to Dr Khir because he had met the former MB in March 2006 to discuss the designing of the mansion.
But Nasir explained that when he saw the renovation plan, it stated Ditamas Sdn Bhd as the owner of the mansion at the time.
