Zahid wanted UKSB to donate to Umno, says graft trial witness

The Shah Alam High Court was today told that former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had asked Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) to give financial aid as political donations to Umno.

MACC investigating officer V Mahendran, 38, said Zahid made the request when two former UKSB directors - Harry Lee Vui Khiun and Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani - came to his residence at Country Heights, Kajang.

The 18th prosecution witness said Zahid was then the home minister and had the power and huge influence in deciding the policies and directions of the government, and the Home Ministry in particular.

“UKSB agreed to give the political donations to ensure that its business would not be interrupted as there were several other companies lobbying for the job undertaken by UKSB, namely relating to the visa system.

“Investigations also revealed that those cash donations, which were given on a monthly basis to Zahid, were prepared by David Tan (former UKSB administrative manager) on the instruction of Lee,” he said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Zander Lim Wai Keong.

Mahendran said Tan’s role in this was to ensure that UKSB had sufficient funds to fulfil Zahid’s request.

Prior to this, Wan Quoris told the court that the financial aid given to Zahid was meant to strengthen the company’s position as a contractor to the Home Ministry, apart from getting the politician’s support to reduce competition from other companies running similar businesses.

Mahendran also said that based on the statements by Lee, Tan, and Wan Quoris, the cash donations for Zahid would normally be placed in an envelope.

“The handover of the cash was made every month according to Zahid’s time, which was normally at 10pm at Seri Satria, Putrajaya, his official residence, or at Country Heights,” he added.

33 charges

Zahid, 69, is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to SG$13.56 million (RM43.8 million) from UKSB for himself as home minister to extend the company’s contract as the operator of OSC service in China and the VLN system ,as well as to maintain the contract to supply the VLN integrated system to the same company by the Home Ministry.

For another seven counts, he was charged with obtaining for himself SG$1,150,000, RM3 million, €15,000 (RM68,000) and US$15,000 (RM67,000) from the same company which has links with his official duty.

He was charged with committing all the offences at Seri Satria and Country Heights between October 2014 and March 2018. The trial before judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa continues.

- Bernama