'If I were a bribe-taker, cheques would have been made in my name'

 

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told the High Court yesterday that if he were a bribe-taker, the cheques of RM2 million he received from a company director would have been in his name and not marked as a political donation.

Elaborating, Zahid, 69, said he received the RM2 million in three cheques from the director of Profound Radiance Sdn Bhd (PRSB), Azlan Shah Jaffril, which were marked by Azlan as amal jariah (charity) and ‘political donation for Deputy Prime Minister’.

“The RM2 million was not deposited into my personal accounts, but into Yayasan Akalbudi’s (YAB) account handled by legal firm Messrs Lewis & Co.

“A sincere man like me is being charged, while the one who ‘stole’ the money is not. I don’t think I deserve this,” he said.

Zahid said Azlan Shah’s testimony as the 18th prosecution witness also stated that the RM2 million were for charity and political donation and that it should be accepted by the court as it was a sworn statement.

The former deputy prime minister said this during cross-examination by deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Abdul Malik Ayob in his defence trial over 47 charges, 12 of which were of criminal breach of trust, eight of corruption, and 27 of money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to YAB.

Malik then asked Zahid about the decision made by the Home Ministry in giving the approval to PRSB to manage the one-stop centre for visa service in Nepal and Pakistan.

Despite the DPP’s repeated attempts, Zahid kept avoiding the question by referring to the minutes of a meeting which stated that the approval was given to PRSB after taking into consideration the recommendations made at the Home Ministry’s meeting.

Malik: Right now, I cannot ascertain who actually made the decision to approve PRSB. When I read the statement, (it said) you said the instruction came from the (then) prime minister (Najib Abdul Razak), but you said the decision was made by others, namely the secretary-general and deputy secretary-general of the Home Ministry.

Zahid: Your Honour, I hope the DPP will not become a minister one day and I pray for him to be able to know the regulations as all ministries must follow the same procedures (to approve a company).

Malik: Datuk Seri, I have no desire to become a politician.

Zahid: Good. You’re unqualified for it.

Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah then ordered Zahid to answer the DPP’s question.

For the 16th, 17th and 18th charges, Zahid is accused of having received bribes amounting to RM2 million in three cheques, each for RM300,000, RM 1 million and RM700,000 from PRSB through Messrs Lewis & Co’s account as payment for himself as the Home Minister to conduct any transactions with Profound Radiance as the operator of the one-stop centre service in Pakistan and Nepal, at the Home Ministry.

The trial before judge Sequerah continues today.

- Bernama