KUALA LUMPUR – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today accused Datuk Seri Najib Razak of trying to “twist” a claim that he had received RM2.6 million from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB), saying there is no evidence that such money had entered his account or that he had received it.
The former prime minister said that unlike Najib, who has been found guilty of graft by the courts for taking RM42 million from 1Malaysia Development Bhd subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd, there is no paper trail related to the allegation made against him.
Dr Mahathir said there is only testimony from UKSB administrative manager David Tan Siong Sun on this matter.
“All the money flows (in Najib’s case) have a paper trail and digital footprint, and they are all related to Najib,” he said in a statement today.
“This is different from the statement in court by Tan from UKSB in court that the money was given through my nephew Tan Sri Rahmat (Abu Bakar) and not to me.
“There is no evidence that the money entered my account or that I received the money or that Tan saw that the money was handed over to me,” Mahathir said.
“All that is available is Tan’s statement which is based on his ledger, called Book 555.”
The Langkawi MP added that this is something very easy to understand, but Najib, also a former prime minister, pretended to feign ignorance and twist the matter.
“He only pretends to not understand the differences between these cases just so that he can continue to lie to cover up his crime of robbing people’s money,” Dr Mahathir said.
“Unfortunately, that is the only means he has to keep fooling his supporters.”
The Court of Appeal last year upheld the conviction and 12-year prison sentence as well as an RM210 million fine imposed on Najib for misappropriating RM42 million in funds from SRC International.
On July 25, Tan had told the Kuala Lumpur High Court in a hearing for a different corruption case that Dr Mahathir and Bersatu – a party he founded – indirectly received RM2.6 million in political funding via his nephew Rahmat.
Tan said this in his testimony during the corruption trial involving Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
UKSB is a Malaysian company implicated in Zahid’s trial linked to the award of a Foreign Visa System (VLN) contract.
The next day, Dr Mahathir denied receiving political funding from UKSB.
Rahmat later said that he was appointed as UKSB chairman and adviser on July 13, 2018, and offered to take over 50% of the company’s shares.
He revealed that he was promised a RM1.3 million monthly remuneration in his official role and received this in cash.
But this amount was later returned to UKSB as he was unsure of the source of the funds, Rahmat said. He also resigned from both posts on November 14, 2018. – The Vibes, August 1, 2022
