Datasonic exec: RM6m for Zahid wouldn't have happened if not DPM

An executive of the Datasonic Group Berhad, the company which supplies microchips for Malaysian passports, said he had recommended a RM6 million contribution to Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in April 2017 due to "long-term" considerations and would not have done so if the latter was not the deputy prime minister and home minister at the time.

Testifying as the prosecution's 34th witness in Zahid's corruption trial at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today, Datasonic deputy managing director Chew Ben Ben said he had proposed the donation after being invited to Zahid's official residence in Putrajaya in the middle of April 2017.

Chew, who was examined by deputy public prosecutor Gan Peng Kun, said Zahid had raised the upcoming general election during that meeting.

"At the time, I could guess that BN needed political funds for the election. I then asked Zahid if (then Datasonic managing director and chief executive officer) Abu Hanifah Noordin and I could make a political contribution to BN and how much was needed.

"Ahmad Zahid said it was up to me on how much I wanted to contribute to BN," he said, adding that Zahid asked him to make out the cheque to the law firm Lewis & Co.

The following day, Chew said he met with Hanifah at his Datasonic office and proposed a political contribution of RM6 million for BN to be made through Zahid.

He said Hanifah subsequently issued two cheques, for RM5 million and RM1 million respectively, drawn from his personal company Sarana Kencana Sdn Bhd on April 2, 2017.

He said Hanifah had used his personal funds as using Datasonic's funds would require the board approval. Chew said he then took the cheques to Zahid's official residence in Putrajaya.

"After I handed over the cheques to Zahid, he said 'Thank you' and asked me to convey my thanks to Hanifah," he said.

He was then asked by Gan to identify both of the cheques, which he did.

"I would like to state that if Zahid was not the deputy prime minister and home minister then, I would not have proposed to Hanifah to make a RM6 million political contribution to BN through Zahid.

"My proposal to Hanifah to make the political contribution to BN through Zahid was for the long term," he said.

Chew said when Zahid was charged with receiving RM6 million in bribes to appoint Datasonic as the Malaysian passport chip supplier for five years, Datasonic had issued a denial to prevent the company's share price from falling.

However, he said that that statement should not be taken as a denial of his admission in court today.

"With regard to the Malaysiakini article titled 'Datasonic denies paying Zahid for smart passport contract' dated Oct 19, 2018, I stated that Datasonic was a company listed on Bursa Malaysia.

"To prevent Datasonic's share price from falling further, the Datasonic board of directors issued a statement to Bursa to deny the media reports that Datasonic had bribed Zahid.

"This was done to ensure the Datasonic investors did not panic and to restore investor confidence. This action is done based on business considerations and should not negate the statement I give here," he said, reading from his witness statement.

Chew maintained the RM6 million was not a bribe when cross-examined by defence lawyer Ahmad Zaidi Zainal.

He agreed with Zaidi's suggestion that the cheques were made out in the name with Lewis & Co, the trustee for Yayasan Akalbudi, a charitable foundation owned by Zahid, and that the funds could be used for charitable works.

Zahid is facing 45 charges of money-laundering, criminal breach of trust and accepting bribes involving RM114 million.

The witness testimony today is specific to the charge of Zahid receiving RM6 million in bribes in exchange to grant the passport microchip contract to Datasonic. - Mkini