SHAH ALAM – A former secretary of the immigration affairs division under the Home Affairs Ministry today told the high court here that he had received 26,000 Saudi riyals from the director of Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB), Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani (Wan Badak) when they were in Saudi Arabia.
Datuk Shahril Ismail said this during a cross-examination session by lawyer Datuk Ahmad Zaidi, who represented Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the trial of the former deputy prime minister in the Foreign Visa System (VLN) corruption case.
When asked by Zaidi, whether he received 26,000 Saudi riyals in cash from “Wan Badak”, the witness replied: “Yes, but the purpose was to exchange money.”
Zaidi: “I refer to a document that was supplied to us (defence) by the prosecution in bundle 51A regarding this case, namely the document (555 or ‘faraid’ book) which was confiscated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
“It was in November 2015, in accordance with what Datuk (you) said earlier. Datuk went to perform umrah. There was a record of ‘cash mode to Wan Badak, total 26,000 riyals, remark Syahril SUB (division secretary)’. This is Wan Quoris’ post, do you agree?”
Shahril: “I agree.”
Zaidi: “When did you become involved with the UKSB contract extension process? Can I say from the time the letter was sent?”
Shahril: “Yes, from the time it (the letter regarding contract extension) was sent.”
Shahril also agreed with Zaidi that he had received RM14,000 from Wan Quoris Shah on October 25, 2016, the same date the letter was sent to his department.
However, he denied some transactions amounting to between RM19,000 and RM28,000.
Earlier, the media reported that MACC had confiscated a “faraid” book belonging to UKSB which recorded payments to certain parties.
When asked by Zaidi, referring to the same document (book “faraid”), if there was a statement that said “remark cash RM100,000 and RM50,000 to KJ”, Shahril replied: “Yes”.
Zaidi: “‘KJ’ is Khairy Jamaluddin, who is now the health minister?”
Shahril: “Yes.”
Zaidi: “It also states ‘SG$70,000 to FM’. Does ‘FM’ refer to the foreign minister?”
Shahril: “I’m not sure.”
During a re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran, Shahril explained that he went to Saudi Arabia after being invited by a former Home Ministry official who was also from the same village as him.
“Wan Quoris Shah was also there at the time, and I was there to perform the umrah. Wan Quoris Shah asked me if I wanted to exchange money for riyals.
“I thought it was for exchange, so I brought RM10,000 to exchange with his riyals, but he refused to take my money,” he said.
When asked by Raja Rozela whether the 26,000 Saudi riyals had anything to do with UKSB contracts or official work, Shahril replied: “No, because at that time I had just joined (the Home Ministry).’
Zahid, 68, is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to SG$13.56 million (RM42 million) from UKSB as an inducement for himself in his capacity as a civil servant and then home minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of One-Stop Centres in China and the VLN system, as well as to maintain the agreement to supply VLN integrated system paraphernalia to the same company by the Home Ministry.
For another seven counts, Zahid was charged as home minister to have obtained for himself SG$1,150,000, RM3 million, €15,000 (RM29,182) and US$15,000 (RM63,158) in cash from the same company in connection with his official work.
The trial before judge Datuk Mohd Yazid Mustafa continues on May 10. – Bernama, April 1, 2022
