RM2.6b donation - Zahid spends almost nine hours at MACC

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was questioned for almost nine hours by MACC officers at their headquarters today.

Speaking to reporters after the session, Zahid said the graft-busters recorded his statements over his claim of meeting with the Saudi royal family regarding a RM2.6billion donation to former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak as reported by the media.

MACC finished recording his statements at about 6.30pm.

Zahid arrived in Putrajaya at 9.50am accompanied by a bodyguard. No lawyer was present.

Zahid thanked the MACC for being professional and giving him space to make an explanation.

"I am confident that the issues (regarding 1MDB) which have turned into a negative perception for the public will be unravelled by the MACC within their own time frame."

Zahid is expected to return to the MACC headquarters tomorrow to have his statements recorded over alleged abuse of funds at the Yayasan Akal Budi, a welfare foundation owned by his family members.

When asked whom from Saudi royalty he met regarding Najib's alleged donation, Zahid said:

"I'm not answerable to you. I'm only answerable to MACC.”

In 2015, Zahid had claimed that he met the chief investment officer and wealth trustee of an Arab royal family who said was behind the RM2.6 billion transferred into Najib’s personal accounts.

The US Department of Justice has said that the RM2.6 billion was misappropriated from troubled state fund 1MDB. Najib has denied any wrongdoing saying the funds were a donation from Saudi royalty.

The MACC has reopened its probe into the affair three years after Najib as the then prime minister halted the investigations.

'Good deeds'

On Yayasan Akal Budi, Zahid is alleged to have abused funds from the foundation to pay credit card debts.

The Star reported that Zahid is suspected to have misused RM800,000 from the funds to pay credit cards debts belonging to him and his wife.

At a press conference at Umno headquarters yesterday, Zahid said he and his family had established the foundation for Islamic advancement activities such as building mosques, tahfiz schools, orphanages and other welfare activities including coordinating donations.

"The funds in my family foundation were contributed by me and several friends who are also interested in doing good deeds," he had said. - Mkini