Zahid asked company to give money for Umno, court told

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

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer V Mahendran, 38, said the request was made by Zahid when two former UKSB directors – Harry Lee Vui Khiun and Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani – came to his residence at Country Height, Kajang.

The 18th prosecution witness said Zahid was home minister at the time and had both power and influence in deciding on the policies and directions of the government, particularly the home ministry.

"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 David Tan Siong Sun) on the instruction of Harry Lee," he said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Zander Lim Wai Keong.

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

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

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

"The handover of the cash would be done every month according to Zahid’s time, which was normally at 10pm at Seri Satria, Putrajaya, his official residence or at Country Heights," he said.

Zahid, 69, faces 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 the OSC service in China and the 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 is 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, Precinct 16, Putrajaya, and Country Heights Kajang between October 2014 and March 2018. 

The trial before judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa continues.