KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told the High Court that he never used the RM6mil allegedly received as a political donation from Datasonic Group Bhd deputy managing director Chew Ben Ben for his personal benefit.
The former deputy prime minister said he had never deposited the money received through two cheques into his personal accounts as he had handed it over to the legal firm, Messrs Lewis & Co, the trustee of his charity foundation Yayasan Akalbudi (YAB).
The Bagan Datuk MP repeatedly stressed that he chose not to deposit the money into his accounts or use it for his personal benefit.
“Even at that time I was holding the post of deputy president (of Umno) and that money could have been used for political purposes, I chose neither to use it for politics nor personal purposes.
“Instead I channelled it to charity, waqf and religious activities,” he said during cross-examination by deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob in his defence trial on 47 charges, 12 of which were of criminal breach of trust, eight for corruption and 27 for money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to YAB.
To Abdul Malik’s question as to why the RM6mil he claimed was a political donation was not deposited into the accounts of Umno or Barisan Nasional, Ahmad Zahid replied “not necessarily”.
“If a politician receives a political donation, the money doesn’t necessarily (have to) be deposited into his party’s account as nowhere on the cheque were the words ‘donation for political party’ written.
“But if the money was given to a politician, he has the discretion to deposit it into his own account or any other account he deems fit,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid also disagreed with Abdul Malik’s suggestion that the RM6mil he received from Chew was a bribe.
Based on the 14th and 15th charges, Ahmad Zahid is alleged to have received bribes amounting to RM6mil from Chew as a reward for appointing Datasonic Technologies Sdn Bhd to implement a passport chip project for a period of five years or for a total of 12.5 million chips to be included in the polycarbonate biodata page of Malaysia’s international passport by the Immigration Department through direct negotiations with the Home Ministry.
The trial before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues. — Bernama
