Kuala Lumpur: Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today told the High Court that he felt he should not be accused of corruption, insisting that the millions of ringgit which he claimed to be political donations would have gone to him instead if he was a corrupt person.
Testifying in his own defence in his corruption trial here, the former deputy prime minister and former home minister continued to insist that RM2 million worth of cheques which he received from a businessman in 2017 and 2018 was allegedly for charity and political donation.
Quizzed by deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob if any of the RM2 million were given to Ahmad Zahid’s political party Umno or Barisan Nasional, Ahmad Zahid said this purported “donation” was not for a political party but for the politician who carries out political activities.
Pressed to confirm if the RM2 million was meant for him, Ahmad Zahid sidestepped this question by saying that donations given to politicians are not necessarily for their political parties only.
When Abdul Malik suggested that the three cheques totalling RM2 million was not a “political donation” but a “donation for a politician, namely” Ahmad Zahid himself, Ahmad Zahid insisted that the businessman’s cheque butts featured the words “political donation” and “charity” as the purpose for the RM2 million cheques.
“So that witness’s testimony should be accepted by this court because that is a sworn testimony by him. This is also done by any politician in our country, whether government or Opposition politicians,” he said.
Abdul Malik then highlighted his previous questions on whether Ahmad Zahid or his charitable organisation Yayasan Akalbudi had issued letters to either businessman Azlan Shah Jeffril or the latter’s company Profound Radiance Sdn Bhd as proof that the RM2 million was received as a “donation”.
But Ahmad Zahid at this point remarked that he should not have been charged with corruption and claimed that others who misappropriated money were instead not charged.
“As I explained since earlier on, if I’m perasuah (corrupt), surely the donation would be on my name personally, but this is for Yayasan (foundation) which was held by Lewis & Co Sincere persons like me are dituduh (accused); those who songlap (misappropriated) money are not accused, safe. I feel this should not happen to me,” he replied.
Earlier today, Ahmad Zahid confirmed that he did not issue any letter to the businessman Azlan Shah or Profound Radiance to acknowledge receiving the purported “political donation” of RM2 million.
In this case, Ahmad Zahid is facing 47 charges, namely 12 of them for criminal breach of trust in relation to more than RM31 million of charitable foundation Yayasan Akalbudi’s funds, 27 counts of money laundering, and eight counts of bribery charges over RM21.25 million of alleged bribes.
Under three of the eight corruption charges, Ahmad Zahid is accused of having received RM2 million in three cheques from Profound Radiance director Azlan Shah as a reward for the company’s appointment for a project under the Home Ministry.
Ahmad Zahid’s trial before High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah resumed in the afternoon.
