Ahmad Zahid orchestrated RM7.5 mln money laundering scheme, court heard

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi orchestrated the money laundering scheme amounting to RM7.5 million using the service of a money changer to turn the money into cheques and then placed in various fixed deposit accounts, the High Court heard today.

Harris Ong said the funds were later placed in various fixed deposit accounts.

"He then banked in the cash to convert it into Ekareas's cheques and asked his wife to make confirmation on the payment if requested by the bank. He later filled in the amount and recipient on every cheque and conveyed all the cheques to the accused," he said in his submission to rebut the defence's argument on 27 money laundering charges before judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah.

Harris Ong said Kamarunisah did not know about the use of Ekares' cheques and the amount filled in each cheque and who would be the recipients.

On the issue of RM500,000 in cash (part of RM7,511,250.20) received by Omar Ali, the DPP said that it was from Yayasan Al-Bukhari (YALB).

"The cash was delivered by an unknown man to Omar Ali, which shows that the transaction was suspicious and doubtful.

"Without any proper documentation, we say that all the cash received by Omar Ali came from illegal sources and not YALB. Omar Ali did not know who the man (who delivered the cash) was and there was no indication the man was a YALB representative," he added.

He said the firm's partner, B. Muralidharan had testified that he received the cheques from Ahmad Zahid at the former DPM's Kajang house or had the cheques passed to him at the firm.

"The manner in which the cheques were delivered by the accused and the directive given to Muralidharan clearly show that Ahmad Zahid engaged directly in giving instruction to Muralidharan to deposit all the cheques received to be placed in 25 fixed deposits as per charge one to 25," he said.

Ahmad Zahid, 68, is facing 47 charges - 12 for CBT, eight for corruption and 27 for money laundering - involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to YAB.

The prosecution will continue its submission tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA