KUALA LUMPUR – Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi argued in the high court that he was merely following orders from former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak when awarding a contract extension approval for the government’s Foreign Visa System (VLN).
The assertion was made by the defence during cross-examination of a former Home Ministry deputy secretary-general (policy and enforcement) Datuk Suriani Ahmad, where reference was made to three letters minuted by Najib to Zahid, who was then serving as the deputy prime minister.
The Malay Mail reported that the Bagan Datuk MP proposed to Suriani that the handwritten memo allegedly written by Najib on May 23, 2013, subsequent to a letter undersigned by Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB), was a specific instruction.
This testimony comes after Suriani previously testified that she was merely following instructions after the Home Ministry approved the contract extension despite the lack of time to evaluate UKSB.
In the handwritten memo, defence lawyer Hamidi Mohd Noh pointed out that Najib wrote “the project must proceed” that was addressed to Zahid, which suggested he was merely following instructions from his superior.
In another memo alleged to have been written by Najib dated January 20, 2014, concerning a letter by UKSB to Najib, it was pointed out that the government was urged to maintain UKSB as the sole Malaysian visa management operator in China.
Najib wrote: “YB Datuk Seri Zahid, please assist in this matter. The contract must be continued.”
Meanwhile, Hamidi referred to another memo by Najib dated October 27, 2015, where it was said to Zahid: “This company (UKSB) has been awarded the E-Visa contract. Please proceed with its implementation. E-Visa for China can be launched on January 1, 2016.”
Hamidi then posed a question to Suriani, based on the memos, whether these can be construed as orders by superior, to which she answered in the affirmative.
Only later during re-examination Suriani told the court that federal ministers are given the freedom to choose whether to continue or discontinue government contracts.
Additionally, she also disagreed that two out of the three letters by UKSB minuted by Najib concerned the contract extension of the VLN based on heading and contents.
Also, according to an Utusan Malaysia report, deputy division secretary for Constitution and Parliament Affairs in the Prime Minister’s Department Sheeba Kunhimon confirmed in court that Zahid raked in a RM44,383 monthly income when he served as the deputy prime minister from 2016 to May 2018.
She further clarified the breakdown of the sum, which showed that Zahid’s monthly salary stood at RM18,168, while he also received a RM26,215 monthly allowance from July 26, 2016, to May 9, 2018.
Sheeba, who is the fifth prosecution witness, read her written testimony that pointed out Zahid first received his salary as the deputy federal territories minister in 2004 until his tenure as the deputy prime minister ended in May 2018.
The hearing before high court judge Datuk Mohd Yazid Mustafa will resume on December 20.
Zahid pleaded not guilty to 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to RM42 million from UKSB as inducement for himself in his capacity as a civil servant to extend the contract of the company.
The offence was allegedly committed at Seri Satria, Precinct 16, Putrajaya and in Country Heights, Kajang, between October 2014 and March 2018.
He also pleaded not guilty to 33 alternative charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code for receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million (RM41.87 million) during his tenure as home minister in relation to the VLN system between 2014 and 2017.
Zahid is also charged with seven additional counts for accepting S$1,150,000, RM3,000,000, €15,000 and US$15,000 in cash from UKSB. – The Vibes, October 22, 2021
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