Former Home Ministry sec-gen not satisfied with early extension of UKSB'S contract for VLN

SHAH ALAM: Former Home Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Alwi Ibrahim told the High Court here today that he was not satisfied with the decision made by former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in extending the contract of Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) for the implementation of the Foreign Visa System (VLN) too early.

Alwi, 62, said this was because the existing contract was still a long way to end.

"However, based on the company report that I received, I was satisfied with its (UKSB) performance," he said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, on the ninth day of Ahmad Zahid's trial on 40 corruption charges.

To another question by Wan Shaharuddin, whether it (extending contract too early) had happened before, Alwi said as far as he could remember, it had never happened before.

Alwi, who is the sixth prosecution witness, when reading out his witness statement, said he, however, complied with the instruction issued by Ahmad Zahid, who was also Home Minister then, to extend UKSB's contract three years before it ended, which was in 2019.

"Based on item 2.2.1 of the agreement to supply the VLN integrated system, the company can apply for a contract extension not less than six months before the expiry of the contract", said Alwi, who also confirmed the minutes and letters pertaining to related to the extension of the VLN contract to UKSB.

Ahmad Zahid, 68, is charged with 33 counts of receiving bribes amounting to SGD13.56 million from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd, as an inducement for himself in his capacity as a civil servant, then as Home Minister, to extend the contract of the company as the operator of a One Stop Centre (OSC) service in China, and the VLN system, as well as to maintain the contract to supply the VLN integrated system paraphernalia to the same company by the Home Ministry.

On seven other charges, Ahmad Zahid was charged, in his capacity as Home Minister then, for accepting SGD1,150,000, RM3,000,000, EURO15,000, and USD15,000 without consideration from the same company, which he knew had a connection with his function.

The trial before Judge Datuk Mohd Yazid Mustafa continues tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA