Money to Zahid was a political fund not corruption - Witness

SHAH ALAM: The High Court here was told today that the money given by Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) to former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was a political donation.

It was not for corrupt purposes, said former UKSB director Harry Lee Vui Khun when cross-examined counsel Hamidi Mohd Noh, representing Ahmad Zahid at the trial of the Foreign Visa System (VLN) corruption case.

Yesterday, Lee told the court that UKSB made monthly cash payment in Singapore Dollars (SGD) to Ahmad Zahid from 2014 to 2018 for the Foreign Visa System (VLN) contract.

Meanwhile, when questioned by lawyer Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, also representing Ahmad Zahid, whether the political donation was for UMNO, the witness said to his understanding, it was for the government of the day.

The 15th prosecution witness also told the court that he could not describe the journey nor provide proof that he went to Ahmad Zahid's residence to hand over the money to the then deputy prime minister.

Ahmad Zaidi: When you go to Country Height, Kajang, nobody can enter without access card and the driver has to register at the guard house. Did the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) ask you for such details?

Lee: No

The witness also agree with Ahmad Zaidi, who said to him that MACC never asked him to give any proof, like Touch 'n Go statement, to show that he went to Ahmad Zahid's house.

Prior to this, when reading out the witness statement, Lee said UKSB never made any payments into UMNO's account nor was it issued receipts or any acknowledgment for the payments.

Ahmad Zahid, 69, is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to SG$13.56 million from UKSB for himself as Home Minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of OSC service in China and the supply VLN system as well as to maintain the contract agreement to supply the VLN integrated system to the same company by KDN.

For another seven counts, he was charged with obtaining for himself SG$1,150,000, RM3 million, EURO15,000 and US$15,000 from the same company which has official links with his official duty.

He was 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 tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA