UKSB gave Zahid RM3mil for GE14 campaign, court told
Zahid, who is Bagan Datuk MP, is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million (RM42 million) from UKSB as the then home minister to extend the firm’s contract as the operator of the one-stop centre in China and the foreign visa (VLN) system as well as to maintain the contract agreement for the supply of the VLN integrated system.
(FMT) – Ahmad Zahid Hamidi received RM3 million from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) as a one-off payment for the 2018 general election (GE14) campaign, the High Court was told in the former deputy prime minister’s corruption trial.
Investigating officer V Mahendran said his probe revealed that Zahid also received the cash payment on March 27 at his private residence in Country Heights, Kajang.
The 14th general election was held between April and May 2018.
He said Zahid also received one-off payments from UKSB on six other occasions between June 2015 and October 2017, also at his home.
In June 2014, the witness said, Zahid received RM125,000 for a Hari Raya celebration as well as S$1 million in May 2017 to celebrate the 71st anniversary of Umno.
Zahid was then acting deputy Umno president after Muhyiddin Yassin was sacked from the party.
Mahendran, the prosecution’s final witness, said Zahid had also received S$30,000 in October 2017 to celebrate his wife’s birthday.
He added that Zahid received S$120,000 in August 2015, 15,000 Swiss francs in May 2016, and another US$15,000, though it is not known why the money was given to him.
Mahendran also said Zahid received a total of S$13.56 million in monthly payments from UKSB between October 2014 and February 2018.
He said the initially amount was S$200,000, which was later raised to S$300,000 and S$520,000.
He added that the money was given at his house or the official residence of the deputy prime minister, Sri Satria in Putrajaya.
It was earlier reported that one of UKSB’s former director, Harry Lee, had testified that the quantum was raised at Zahid’s insistence.
Zahid, who is Bagan Datuk MP, is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million (RM42 million) from UKSB as the then home minister to extend the firm’s contract as the operator of the one-stop centre in China and the foreign visa (VLN) system as well as to maintain the contract agreement for the supply of the VLN integrated system.
Zahid, who is now Umno president, is also accused of another seven counts of obtaining for himself S$1.15 million, RM3 million, 15,000 Swiss francs and US$15,000 from the same company in connection with his official duties.
He is charged with committing all the offences at Seri Satria in Precinct 16, Putrajaya, and at Country Heights, Kajang, between October 2014 and March 2018.
The hearing before judge Yazid Mustafa continues.
