AHMAD Zahid Hamidi’s status as Umno president will be discussed at the party’s next supreme council meeting, said Annuar Musa.

The Umno secretary-general said there was no rush to review Zahid’s position even though he has been charged last week with corruption.

“We will follow the party constitution. All that is needed to be done is in the constitution and we will follow it. Right now there is no decision on his position,” the Ketereh MP said in the Parliament lobby today.

The former deputy prime minister on Friday claimed trial to 45 counts of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering involving RM114.15 million.

Of the total, RM21.25 million was allegedly for kickbacks for approving projects related to the recruitment of foreign workers.

The sum involved in the 27 charges of money laundering was RM72.06 million, and included the purchase of two bungalow lots in Kajang worth RM5.9 million.

Most of the charges under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLA) were for offences that took place between May 2016 and April this year in the form of bank deposits to a Maybank account.

The deposits were all made from an account belonging to law firm Lewis & Co Advocates & Solicitors, according to the charge sheets.

Zahid also faces 10 counts of criminal breach of trust involving RM20.83 million belonging to the family-run foundation Yayasan Akal Budi, which he chairs.

He also faces eight counts of corruption for abusing his power while home minister.

Zahid said the charges against him were politically motivated.

Annuar said Umno did not have a Standard Operating Procedure which required its top officials facing court cases to go on leave. – October 22, 2018.