Money to Zahid was a political fund, not corruption - witness

 

The Shah Alam High Court was told today that the money given by Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) to former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was a political donation and not for corrupt purposes.

Former UKSB director Harry Lee Vui Khun said this when cross-examined by Zahid’s counsel Hamidi Mohd Noh at the trial of the Foreign Visa System (VLN) corruption case.

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

Meanwhile, when questioned by Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, who also represents Zahid, whether the political donation was for Umno, the witness said that 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 Zahid’s residence to hand over the money to the Umno president.

Ahmad Zaidi: When you go to Country Height, Kajang, nobody can enter without an access card and the driver has to register at the guardhouse. Did the MACC ask you for such details?

Lee: No

The witness also agreed with Ahmad Zaidi, who said to him that the MACC never asked him to give any proof, like Touch ‘n Go statement, to show that he went to 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 acknowledgement for the payments.

Zahid, 69, is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to SG$13.56 million from UKSB for himself as the 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 Home Ministry.

For another seven counts, he was charged with obtaining for himself SG$1,150,000, RM3 million, €15,000 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 Mohd Yazid Mustafa continues tomorrow.

- Bernama