KUALA LUMPUR – The high court here was today told that Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi used RM17.9 million in Yayasan Akalbudi’s fixed deposit money to fund a boutique hotel purchase in Bali, Indonesia, for his daughter.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran said the former deputy prime minister’s eldest daughter Datuk Nurulhidayah Ahmad Zahid was interested in taking over shares of Ri-Yaz Asset Sdn Bhd and running the hotel, reported Bernama.
Raja Rozela said Zahid was entrusted with the funds for the specific purpose of eradicating poverty and raising the welfare of the poor, as well as conducting studies and research, through the charity foundation.
However, she said, he gave specific instructions to Affin Bank to withdraw all the monies from seven fixed deposit accounts belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi before transferring the sum via banker’s cheques to law firm Messrs Lewis & Co.
“Zahid then issued a cheque for RM8.6 million to Ri-Yaz Asset for the purpose of purchasing 60% of the shares from Ri-Yaz Asset chairman Tan Sri Rashid Manaf.
“The individual who was interested in buying the hotel is the accused’s daughter, and the matter was confirmed by Rashid and group managing director Datuk Seri Mohd Shaheen.”
Raja Rozela said this in her submission at the end of the prosecution’s case against Zahid, who faces 47 charges of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering involving tens of millions in Yayasan Akalbudi funds.
“How does managing a boutique hotel in Indonesia help the poor in this country?
“The funds in Yayasan Akalbudi’s account were used for the personal enrichment of the accused, which Yayasan Akalbudi had no connection to or interest in.
“For the withdrawal of the funds from the seven fixed deposit accounts, the RM17.9 million banker’s cheque was paid to Lewis & Co.”
She stressed that the matter should have been viewed as a warning.
“Why were the funds transferred when there is no record to show that Lewis & Co acted on behalf of Yayasan Akalbudi?
“Therefore, the prosecution argues that the real purpose of the withdrawal of the RM17.9 million was to make it easier for the accused’s daughter to buy a hotel in Bali.”
She said Zahid opted to utilise Yayasan Akalbudi funds instead of his own to pay off his personal credit card payments, motor insurance policies and road tax.
“(Zahid’s former executive secretary) Maj Mazlina Mazlan in her statement said the cheques were prepared upon the instruction and with the knowledge of the accused.”
The prosecution rebutted the defence’s claim that Mazlina had full control and custody of the chequebooks, therefore, Zahid did not have access to them.
“To insist that the accused had no access to these chequebooks is merely an excuse because Zahid was Mazlina’s boss. All he had to do was ask Mazlina to show him the chequebooks and credit card statements,” said Raja Rozela.
“Our contention is that Mazlina did not purposely hide the chequebooks from him. There is no basis to that conclusion.”
The hearing before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues on Monday. – The Vibes, October 14, 2021
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