I Found No Office At Address Given For Zahid S Foundation Witness Tells Court

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MACC officer says he found no proof of any donations made by individuals or organisations to Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s Yayasan Akalbudi. (Bernama pic)KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer told the High Court in the Ahmad Zahid Hamidi corruption trial today that the former deputy prime minister’s Yayasan Akalbudi never operated from the registered address given.
Investigating officer Khairudin Kilau said during the course of his investigations, he went to Yayasan Akalbudi’s purported office at Kampung Baru but could not find the foundation.
“Thus, I could not find any documents from Yayasan Akalbudi as the office was not there,” he said, when questioned by deputy public prosecutor Lee Keng Fatt.
Based on documents provided by the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), Yayasan Akalbudi’s registered address was 69E-4, Jalan Raja Abdullah in Kuala Lumpur.
Lee had earlier asked Khairudin if MACC tried to find any documents related to Yayasan Akalbudi, to which the witness said he went to SSM and company secretary Mahinder Kaur’s office to obtain the documents.
Khairudin also said MACC did not find any documents that showed individuals or organisations had made any “donations” to Yayasan Akalbudi.
“Between Dec 12, 2012 and May 31, 2018, a sum of RM100 million was deposited into and subsequently transferred out from Yayasan Akalbudi’s bank account.
“The last withdrawal, amounting to RM9.3 million was made to Yayasan Alfalah on May 28, 2018, after the 14th general election (on May 9, 2014),” he added.
To Lee’s question on who had the authority to approve the RM9.3 million transfer, Khairudin named Zahid.
“He (Zahid) is Yayasan Akalbudi’s sole signatory,” he said, adding that there was no reason provided whether in the form of minutes of meeting or any written resolution to explain the transfer of the RM9.3 million.
Khairudin also told the court that law firm Lewis & Co was never appointed as Yayasan Akalbudi’s trustee.
“They were lawyers for the accused (Zahid) in a civil case. They kept his file at their office,” he added.
According to the witness, the law firm had also handled a statutory declaration (SD) matter for Zahid pertaining to Yayasan Akalbudi cheques issued to settle his credit card debt.
Lee then showed the MACC officer several paragraphs in the SD, signed by Hutan Melintang assemblyman and foundation trustee member, Khairuddin Tarmizi.
Khairuddin had stated in the SD that he had received some bills from Zahid to settle with the bank and that he was of the view that he could use the money in the foundation to settle the bills since a major portion of the funds to the foundation was personally contributed by him.
In the same SD, Khairuddin also claimed that he later realised his mistake, and subsequently requested Zahid to refund a sum of RM805,768.16, used to settle the bills to be paid back to Yayasan Akalbudi.
“However, there was no evidence to show Khairuddin had asked the accused to return the money to Yayasan Akalbudi,” the witness testified.
The hearing continues before High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
Zahid is facing 47 charges of alleged CBT involving Yayasan Akalbudi funds, money laundering as well as accepting bribes for various projects during his tenure as home minister. - FMT

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