Ahmad Zahid knew Yayasan Akalbudi's cheques used to pay his credit cards, court told

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court was today told that former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was aware that repayments for his credit cards were paid using Yayasan Akalbudi’s cheques.

Ahmad Zahid’s former executive secretary, Mejar Mazlina Mazlan @ Ramly said his former employer knew that she used the foundation’s cheques to pay for his credit cards because he had given her permission to do so.

“Datuk Seri Zahid also never retracted the instruction (to use Akalbudi Foundation’s cheques to make payments for credit cards).

"Every time I gave the cheques to Ahmad Zahid, I also gave him the payment statements, “ she said during re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran on the 43rd day trial of the UMNO president who is facing charges for corruption, abuse of power and money laundering, involving millions of ringgit from Yayasan Akalbudi’s funds.

To another question by Raja Rozela whether there were other documents she showed to Ahmad Zahid, she said it was Yayasan Akalbudi’s Maybank cheque book.

Mazlina, who is the 90th prosecution witness, when questioned by deputy public prosecutor Lee Keng Fatt on the amount of funds in Yayasan Akalbudi’s account between Jun 2016 until she quit as Ahmad Zahid’s executive secretary in 2018, Mazlina said it was tens of thousands to millions.

Lee: Did you show the bank statement to Datuk Seri Zahid?

Mazlina: I did

Lee: How often?

Mazlina: Datuk Seri Zahid made ‘spot check’ one or twice a year.

Ahmad Zahid, 67, is facing 47 charges, with 12 of them involving criminal breach of trust, eight for corruption and 27 for money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit in funds belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.

The hearing before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA