Visa-processing firm made out RM1m cheque to ‘DPM's political fund’ - witness

ZAHID TRIAL | The Kuala Lumpur High Court today heard that the RM1 million cheque made out to a law firm mentioned in the ongoing Ahmad Zahid Hamidi graft trial was meant as a political donation for the latter.

Maybank branch assistant manager Harryade Mohamad Arbe said this today in the course of identifying three cheques issued by visa-processing firm Profound Radiance Sdn Bhd (PRSB).

The 26th prosecution witness testified that PRSB made out three cheques totalling RM2 million to legal firm Lewis & Co between July 2017 to Feb 2018.

Two payments, amounting to RM300,000 and RM700,000 respectively, were meant for “charity” while the third cheque for RM1 million was for the purpose of “DPM (deputy prime minister) political fund”.

Zahid was deputy prime minister at the time.

Harryade said this during cross-examination by defence counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik after reading his witness statement in which he identified the three Maybank cheques issued by PRSB.

Throughout the trial which has entered its 12th day today, Zahid's defence had been attempting to establish that Lewis & Co was the “trustee” for Ahmad Zahid’s welfare foundation Yayasan Akalbudi. 

In court today, Harryade told public prosecutor Gan Peng Kun that Lewis & Co was taken to be an “advocate and solicitors office” but claimed he said he did not know the purpose of the three cheque transactions.

During cross-examination, however, the witness agreed with Hisyam’s suggestion that he “cannot deny” that the cheques were for charity purposes as the witness possessed no knowledge of the matter.

The defence counsel then referred Harryade to three copies of the cheque before asking him to read the “purpose” of the payments listed on the cheques and to whom the payments were made out to.

All three were made out to Lewis & Co.

Hisyam: Does this mean the cheques, both (RM300,000 and RM700,000) were for charity, according to this copy?

Harryade: Yes

Hisyam: I say this is for Islamic charity, paid to Lewis & Co as the trustee for Yayasan Akalbudi. Do you know (this) or not know?

Harryade: I do not know.

On the third cheque, Harryade agreed to the defence suggestion that although it stated it was for the "deputy prime minister’s political fund", it was made out to Lewis & Co.

The witness also agreed that all three cheques involved open transactions which meant payment to the firm would be recorded and this record could be inspected by an auditor.

Ahmad Zahid is facing 47 charges - 12 criminal breaches of trust, eight counts of receiving gratification and 27 counts of money laundering - involving Yayasan Akalbudi's funds.

Meanwhile, PRSB is the subject of a separate civil suit by its former director. 

In the latter case, current PRSB director Azlan Shah Jaffril testified last month that he allegedly paid Ahmad Zahid RM2 million for the company to be appointed to operate one-stop Malaysian visa processing centres in Nepal and Pakistan.

Azlan also told the court he is slated to be a prosecution witness in Ahmad Zahid’s Yayasan Akalbudi trial. - Mkini