Former UKSB director denies lying in Zahid's corruption trial

SHAH ALAM: The former director of Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) today denied being dishonest when testifying at the corruption trial of Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the High Court here.

Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani, 42, also disagreed with the suggestion of lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, who represented the former deputy prime minister, that he did not give money to Ahmad Zahid.

Yesterday, Wan Quoris Shah in his testimony said Ahmad Zahid had received donations (money) from the company between 2014 and 2018.

According to him, the financial assistance given to Ahmad Zahid was aimed at strengthening UKSB's position as a contractor for the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN).

Earlier, the 16th prosecution witness also disagreed with Hisham's suggestion that he, along with former UKSB director Harry Lee Vui Khun and former UKSB administrative manager David Tan had conspired in corruption, money laundering and criminal breach of trust.

He also disagreed with lawyer Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Zainal's suggestion that the money allegedly paid to the UMNO president had in fact been taken and used by the three of them.

Ahmad Zaidi: And that's why you can live luxuriously by owning a bungalow in Putrajaya, a semi-D in Cyberjaya and a luxury apartment at Pavilion Residences as well as various luxury vehicles worth just over RM2 million?

Wan Quoris Shah: I disagree.

During a re-examination by Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, Wan Quoris Shah said with an income of RM100,000 a month, he could afford to buy several properties and luxury vehicles worth RM8 million.

He said his starting salary with UKSB was RM10,000 a month in 2013, before increasing to RM30,000 and finally RM100,000 in 2018.

Ahmad Zahid, 69, is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million (RM42 million) from UKSB as an inducement for himself in his capacity as a civil servant and the then home minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of the One-Stop Centre (OSC) in China and the (Overseas Visa) VLN system as well as to maintain the agreement to supply VLN integrated system equipment to the same company by the Home Ministry.

For another seven counts, Zahid was charged as home minister to have obtained for himself S$1,150,000, RM3 million, EUR15,000 and US$15,000 in cash from the same company in connection with his official work.

He is charged with committing all the offences at Seri Satria, Presint 16, Putrajaya, and Country Heights, Kajang, between October 2014 and March 2018.

The trial before Judge Datuk Mohd Yazid Mustafa continues Thursday (June 16).

-- BERNAMA