In corruption trial, Zahid fends off insinuation he was ‘trigger happy’ to receive bribes

Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was testifying in his personal defence in his trial involving 47 expenses of corruption, cash laundering, and legal breach of belief. — Image by Hari Anggara

By Ida Lim

Tuesday, 30 Aug 2022 5:25 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 — Former dwelling minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in the present day sought to fend off insinuations that he was “set off glad” in accepting bribes.

Ahmad Zahid was testifying in his personal defence in his trial involving 47 expenses of corruption, cash laundering, and legal breach of belief.

At this time, Ahmad Zahid was requested to make clear about businessman Junaith Asharab Md Shariff, who had given RM13.25 million by way of 24 cheques to the legislation agency Lewis & Co’s shopper account.

Ahmad Zahid had all through the trial asserted that Lewis & Co was holding cash within the shopper account on belief for Yayasan Akalbudi, a charitable basis the place he’s a trustee and its sole signatory for cheques.

At this time, Ahmad Zahid’s lawyer Hamidi Mohd Noh famous that the prosecution had on August 23 beforehand steered that it was frequent sense for Ahmad Zahid to really feel “syukur dan gembira” (grateful and glad) with such a giant donation from Junaith to Yayasan Akalbudi.

Ahmad Zahid responded by clarifying that he knew what the prosecution was implying with such a suggestion relating to his feelings, though the prosecution didn’t straight accuse him of feeling glad for allegedly receiving bribes.

“Yang Arif, this ‘gembira’ (glad) is as if I’m set off glad to obtain bribe cash. Though it was not talked about straight, I perceive the implied that means.

“So, I don’t really feel glad and don’t really feel grateful, as a result of the one that ought to really feel grateful is the donor as divine blessings might be obtained by that donor,” he mentioned.

Ahmad Zahid additionally agreed that he had beforehand testified in courtroom that though the donation would assist his personal charity Yayasan Akalbudi, the charity is just not for him personally and it’s for spiritual functions and it could be a matter between the donor and Allah.

At this level, Excessive Court docket choose Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah famous that this is able to be only a repetition of what Ahmad Zahid already mentioned in courtroom beforehand.

Hamidi then requested why Ahmad Zahid disagreed that Junaith had hoped for one thing in trade.

Ahmad Zahid then replied: “He himself by no means requested for any assist to do enterprise, by no means.”

At this time marks the top of Ahmad Zahid being a defence witness in his personal trial, after having spent 17 days within the witness stand.

This afternoon at barely previous 4pm, Ahmad Zahid’s lawyer Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Zainal knowledgeable the Excessive Court docket that they’d accomplished re-examination for Ahmad Zahid and had no additional inquiries to ask him.

The Excessive Court docket then launched Ahmad Zahid as a defence witness from the witness stand.

Hamidi then knowledgeable the Excessive Court docket that Ahmad Zahid’s authorized crew now deliberate to name 40 further defence witnesses (excluding Ahmad Zahid himself), down from the earlier determine of 43 defence witnesses.

Requested by the choose if it was “completely essential to name” the 40 further witnesses, Hamidi replied: “Sure, these witnesses are brief witnesses, they’ll go comparatively fairly quick.”

Whereas lead prosecutor Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran steered there is likely to be a must schedule further listening to dates since 40 was nonetheless a big quantity, Ahmad Zahid’s authorized crew expressed confidence that the present scheduled dates have been ample as the brand new witnesses wouldn’t take lengthy to testify.

Ahmad Zahid’s lead defence lawyer Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik mentioned: “We’re assured we can full these witnesses throughout the current dates, as a result of these witnesses are brief witnesses.”

The choose mentioned the present listening to dates will be maintained for now, and that further listening to dates may very well be added on later if required.

The trial will resume subsequent on September 19.

The opposite trial dates that had been scheduled beforehand are September 20 to September 22, September 26 to September 29, October 31, and November 7 to November 10.

On this trial, Ahmad Zahid ― who can also be a former deputy prime minister― is dealing with 47 expenses, specifically 12 counts of legal breach of belief in relation to RM31 million charitable basis Yayasan Akalbudi’s funds, 27 counts of money-laundering, and eight counts of bribery expenses over RM21.25 million of alleged bribes.

The 12 counts of legal breach of belief is in relation to the alleged misappropriation of Yayasan Akalbudi funds, specifically RM1.3 million by way of 43 cheques for his and his spouse’s bank card payments, RM107,509.55 by way of three cheques for car insurance coverage and highway tax for 20 privately-owned autos, a RM1.3 million cheque to the police’s soccer affiliation, a RM10 million cheque for a mortgage to Armada Holdings Sdn Bhd, RM360,000 by way of two cheques to political consultancy agency TS Consultancy & Assets, and over RM17.9 million of funds transferred from Yayasan Akalbudi to legislation agency Lewis & Co.

Yayasan Akalbudi is a charitable basis established with the intention of eradicating poverty and serving to the poor.