Zahid's foundation cannot receive political donations — MACC officer

KUALA LUMPUR (March 18): The money that went into UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pictured)-linked foundation Yayasan Akalbudi was not “a political donation” as a charitable body cannot receive such donations, the High Court heard today.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer Khairudin Kilau told the court this when Zahid’s lawyer Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Zainal suggested that the money was actually political donations from third parties which the former deputy premier parked in Yayasan Akalbudi’s bank account.

Khairudin, the 99th and final prosecution witness in Zahid’s corruption trial, said that based on his investigation on documents and witness testimonies, RM360,000 was paid out from Yayasan Akalbudi to TS Consultancy & Resources to undertake a study on voter trends and voter registration between Aug 20, 2015 and Dec 23, 2016.

The officer testified that the consultancy’s owners, Jasni Majid and Sabri Said, had been commissioned by UMNO to carry out the voter registration programme. He also testified that they had in the early stages of their project been receiving funds directly from UMNO.

“Is it wrong to spend money from political donations on political activities,” Zaidi asked the witness.

“Yayasan Akalbudi is not a political organisation,” Khairuddin replied.

Jasni had previously testified in the trial that he received two cheques from Yayasan Akalbudi for a total sum of RM360,000 for the project.

RM100m funnelled back into Yayasan Akalbudi

Earlier in the day, Khairudin testified that between December 2012 and May 2018, a total of RM100 million had moved out of Yayasan Akalbudi’s account, and the same amount was funneled back into the account during that period.

Khairudin also testified that RM9.3 million was transferred out of Yayasan Akalbudi to Yayasan Al-Falah (which is helmed by  Zahid’s brother) three weeks after the  UMNO-led Barisan Nasional lost power in the 2018 general election.

Khairudin said the MACC was investigating Yayasan Akalbudi’s sole account during that period but did not stop these transactions.

He said the purpose of the RM9.3 million transferred to Al-Falah was unclear, adding that he could not find any meeting resolutions or minutes sanctioning that transfer.

Zahid is the sole signatory, owner and founder of Akalbudi.

During the course of his investigations, Khairudin said he had gone to the registered address of Akalbudi in Jalan Raja Abdullah, Kuala Lumpur to get documents from the foundation but there was no office at the address given.

He said he got the address from the Companies Commission of Malaysia. He also had to obtain Akalbudi’s documents from the commission.

The hearing before Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow, with Zahid’s lead counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik expected to continue with the cross-examination of Khairudin.

Zahid, who is the Bagan Datuk Member of Parliament, is facing 47 charges — 12 for CBT, eight for bribery and 27 for money laundering — involving millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.

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