SHAH ALAM: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad received a political donation of RM2.6mil from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) for Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) after the 14th General Election, the High Court here heard.
In the corruption trial of former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, former UKSB administration manager David Tan Siong Sun, 47, said Dr Mahathir, the Bersatu chairman at the time, received the donation for the party's use through his nephew Tan Sri Rahmat Abu Bakar.
Tan said the code name "Kedahan" was used for Rahmat in UKSB's ledger of the company's monetary outflow.
However, during cross-examination by Ahmad Zahid's lawyer Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, Tan said he was unsure if Rahmat was a director of Giromakro Sdn Bhd.
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Zaidi: Why make a donation of RM2.6mil to Rahmat?
Tan: As a political fund for Mahathir and Bersatu.
The money was said to have been given to Rahmat after Pakatan Harapan (PH) was voted into power after the May 9, 2018 general election and Mahathir was appointed prime minister for the second time.
On June 17, Tan had testified that the home minister under the PH administration, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, had also received RM1.3mil from UKSB.
Elaborating on Monday (July 25), he said the money was passed to SHH Resources Bhd director Teo Wee Cheng, who was Muhyiddin’s close friend.
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“The money was also given as a political donation to assist Muhyiddin,” he said.
Zaidi: Did the accused (Zahid) also receive political funds from UKSB?
Tan: Yes.
Zaidi: Do you see Mahathir and Muhyiddin sitting beside the accused (Zahid) in the dock?
Tan: No.
Ahmad Zahid, 69, faces 33 charges of accepting bribes amounting to SG$13.56mil from UKSB for himself as the then home minister to extend the company's contract as a One Stop Centre (OSC) operator in China and for the Visa Overseas (VLN) system, as well as maintaining the contract agreement to supply the VLN integrated system.
On a further seven charges, Ahmad Zahid is charged with obtaining for himself SG$1,150,000, RM3mil, 15,000 Swiss Francs and US$15,000 from UKSB that had official links to his official duty.
Ahmad Zahid is accused of committing all the offences in Sri Satria, Precinct 16, Putrajaya, and Country Heights, Kajang, between October 2014 and March 2018.
