Witness had no knowledge of RM10 mln donation to Yayasan Akalbudi

Wong Hee Sing, 65, said he had also no knowledge why the company made the payment to Yayasan Akalbudi through Messrs Lewis Co.

"I confirmed that I never know about Yayasan Akalbudi, Yayasan Al-Falah and Lewis Co before. I never met Datuk Seri Zahid personally before, I just knew him as a deputy prime minister," he said.

The 88th prosecution witness said this when reading his witness statement at Ahmad Zahid’s trial on charges of corruption, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving millions of ringgit in funds from Yayasan Akalbudi.

Wong added he consented to be a director of Chia Bee Enterprise after his employer, Datuk Seri Lau Hui Kang died in 2006.

“I was appointed as a director of Chia Bee Enterprise from June 5, 2008 as requested by Wong Sang Woo (Paul Wong), a Singaporean...Paul Wong was a close friend of Lau, then managing director of KTS Sdn Bhd.

"I am paid a director's fee by Chia Bee Enterprise annually, I have no role to play at all in this company... I am not even a company account signatory from date of appointment until now.

"I confirm that Chia Bee Enterprise also has no office or secretariat as it is dormant with no business activity," he said.

During cross-examination by lawyer Hamidi Mohd Noh, representing Ahmad Zahid, the witness said he did not know that the RM10 million was for a charitable foundation handled by the UMNO president.

Hamidi: Is it common for politicians to have charity-based foundations?

Wong: I don't know.

The witness also replied in negative when Hamidi put it to him that his friend (Paul Wong) donated the RM10 million to Yayasan Akalbudi to build a mosque, a religious school and purchase two plots of land.

Hamidi also suggested that the payment to Lewis Co was above board and it was accounted for to which the witness agreed to it.

Hamidi: If this was money other than for purpose of charity or dirty money, or illegal money or laundered money this would not have been done in such way? If it is dirty money you would have not given out cheques, you would have given out cash put in a bag and car?

Wong: Correct.

Zahid, 67, faces 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 trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow.