Zahid received gratification for himself, prosecution tells court in VLN case

The prosecution told the Shah Alam High Court today that former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had received gratification for himself.

Deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob said the contributions were personally delivered by Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB)'s officers to Zahid and had not gone into Umno's account although the payments were said to be political contributions.

"Although the defence is saying the money was a political donation, it was not paid to his political party.

"UKSB also never put the money into Umno's account nor did it obtain receipts for the payments. The accused also did not refuse or ask for the money to be taken away when it was handed to him," Malik said in his submission at the end of the prosecution's case.

Malik said the evidence from three key witnesses comprising former UKSB directors Harry Lee Vui Khiun and Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani, and UKSB administrative manager David Tan Siong Sun, who are the 15th, 16th and 17th prosecution witnesses, was consistent on the delivery of the money to Zahid.

"Lee and Wan Quoris Shah were in agreement when they testified that the accused never indicated the amount to be contributed, only the fact that the accused indicated that the contributions must be made in cash and in Singapore dollars.

"They also concurred that the money was delivered at Country Heights, Kajang or Seri Satria, Putrajaya, and at night after 10pm. They were also able to describe the accused’s private or official residences and where the deliveries took place in the residences," he said.

Meanwhile, deputy public prosecutor Zander Lim Wai Keong submitted about the defence’s complaint that the public prosecutor had acted unfairly, was biased and had practised selective prosecution against the accused.

"The question to be considered by the court is whether the accused’s right to a fair trial has been infringed upon or not," he said.

Lim said Zahid was represented by a very competent legal team which was given the right to cross-examine all of the prosecution witnesses and to put up their defence during the prosecution’s case, as well as a reasonable time frame to file written submissions.

"The accused was also given the right to submit the defence orally at the close of the prosecution’s case and without a doubt, this case is heard before My Lord who is independent and impartial," he said.
 
Lim also submitted that there was no violation of the accused’s rights under Article 8(1) of the Federal Constitution.

"The charge faced by the accused is not discriminatory in nature. The accused has been given the same procedural rights for relief and for defence as any other accused in a criminal trial without discrimination.

"The accused is entitled to put forward all of his defences including the examination of the prosecution’s witnesses," he added.

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 was charged with obtaining for himself S$1,150,000, RM3 million, 15,000 Swiss francs 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 prosecution will continue its submissions before judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa tomorrow.