Money for Zahid was political donation, ex-Ultra Kirana director tells court

The Shah Alam High Court was today told that the money given by Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) to former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamid was a political donation and not for corrupt purposes.

Former UKSB director Harry Lee Vui Khun said this when cross-examined by Zahid’s counsel Hamidi Mohd Noh at the Umno president’s trial in the foreign visa system (VLN) corruption case.

Lee previously told the court that UKSB made monthly cash payments to Zahid in Singapore dollars from 2014 to 2018 for the VLN contract.

Meanwhile, when questioned by lawyer Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, also representing Zahid, about whether the political donation was for Umno, Leee said to his understanding, it was for the government of the day.

The 15th prosecution witness also told the court that he could not describe the journey nor provide proof that he went to Zahid’s residence to hand over the money to the then deputy prime minister.

Zaidi: When you go to Country Height, Kajang, nobody can enter without an access card and the driver has to register at the guard house. Did the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) ask you for such details?

Lee: No.

The witness also agreed with Zaidi when the lawyer said MACC had never asked him for proof such as Touch ‘n Go statements to show that he had gone to Zahid’s house.

Prior to this, when reading out the witness statement, Lee said UKSB never made any payments into Umno’s account, nor was it issued receipts or any acknowledgment for the payments.

Zahid, 69, is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million from UKSB for himself as home minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of OSC service in China and the supply VLN system, as well as to maintain the contract agreement to supply the VLN integrated system to the same company by the home ministry.

On another seven counts, he was charged with obtaining for himself S$1,150,000, RM3 million, 15,000 euros and US$15,000 from the same company which had official links with his official duty.

He was charged with committing the offences at Seri Satria, Presint 16, Putrajaya and Country Heights Kajang between October 2014 and Mach 2018.

The trial before judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa continues tomorrow.