High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who is presiding over Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption trial, will make a site visit to two bungalow units in Country Heights, Kajang, which were allegedly bought using Yayasan Akalbudi funds for use as Quran centres for retirees and tahfiz students.
“I think in the interest of justice, I would accede to the request for a site visit, but we can fix that for another time. We can arrange the dates later,” said the judge in response to an invitation by defence lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik since the two properties were the subject matter of one of the 27 money laundering charges against Zahid.
According to Hisyam, the visit would give a clear picture of the status of the bungalows, their location and the distance of both bungalow lots to Surau An-Nur.
However, deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran said the site visit was unnecessary as photos of the two properties could be produced in court.
“For us to actually make the trip, it's not really about what renovation (was made), there was a purchase. I think I would decline the invitation to visit the bungalow lots,” she said.
Raja Rozela suggested that if the judge is inclined to make the visit, perhaps it can be done on a different day that would not clash with the trial date.
Earlier, Zahid told the court that the two bungalows were closest to Surau An-Nur in Country Heights and far from his residence, which was also in the same housing area.
The Bagan Datuk MP said this when questioned by deputy public prosecutor Harris Ong Mohd Jeffery Ong on the distance between the two bungalows and his residence.
Zahid also told the court that he was the chairperson of Surau An-Nur and that there was another surau in the area. He also has a surau in his house where he can pray.
No official letter
On the purchase of the two bungalows worth RM5.9 million, Zahid said he could not ascertain who prepared the cheque and that the purchase was handled by lawyer B Muralidharan of Messrs Lewis & Co.
The former deputy prime minister also told the court that there was no official letter in the appointment of Messrs Lewis & Co as the trustee of the Yayasan Akalbudi fund.
“The appointment (of Lewis & Co) was made when I lost faith in (my former executive secretary) Mazlina Mazlan @ Ramly because she was careless and made repeated mistakes in handling the Yayasan Akalbudi account," he said in his defence proceedings on 47 charges involving breach of trust, corruption and money laundering.
To a question by Harris on the need for a letter of appointment to prevent a similar incident, Zahid said it was not important and that neither Muralidharan nor the legal firm had requested the letter.
Zahid: There is no official letter. I have known Muralidharan for a long time and had sought the advice of friends as well as former lawyers. So far there is no negligence committed by the firm in handling Yayasan Akalbudi funds.
The trial before Sequerah continues.
- Bernama
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