THE Shah Alam High Court may have acquitted former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi from all 40 corruption charges related to the foreign visa system (VLN) earlier today but the Umno president still has 47 charges from another ongoing criminal case.

The trial for the 47 charges, at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, involves charitable foundation Yayasan Akalbudi (YAB).

Of the charges, 12 of them are for criminal breach of trust in relation to more than RM31 million in foundation funds, 27 counts of money laundering, and eight counts of bribery involving RM21.25 million.

The trial, which began on November 18, 2019, is being heard by judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.

The prosecution is led by deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran, while the defence team is led by Hisyam Teh Poh Teik.

Both Raja Rozela and Teh represented the government and the accused respectively in Zahid’s VLN case.

A total of 99 prosecution witnesses have so far testified in the YAB trial.

The submissions at the end of the prosecution’s case began in September last year, and took 24 days before its completion on December 6.

On January 24, the High Court ordered the Barisan Nasional chairman to enter his defence on all 47 charges.

Justice Sequerah, in delivering his verdict, said that he found a prima facie case against Zahid on all the charges brought against him.

Zahid’s legal team initially told the court they will call 43 defence witnesses, before reducing it to 40, excluding the accused.

On April 13, Zahid took to the stand to testify, concluding on August 30, after 17 days of trial.

Zahid was examined and re-examined by his lawyers and cross-examined intensely by the prosecution.

At present, the prosecution has applied to impeach a defence witness in the trial, whose statement in court was said to have differed from the one given to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Raja Rozela made the application when cross-examining contractor Jefri Jamil, the third defence witness in Zahid’s trial.

Jefri is a witness offered by the prosecution when Zahid was ordered to enter defence.

The judge allowed the prosecution’s bid to impeach the witness and fixed October 31 for impeachment proceedings.

Today, the Shah Alam High Court acquitted Zahid of all 40 corruption charges involving the VLN.

Zahid, 69, had been accused of 33 counts of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million (RM43.68 million) from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd as the then home minister to extend the firm’s contract as the operator of a one-stop centre in China and the VLN system as well as to maintain a contract for the supply of the VLN integrated system.

He was also charged with seven other counts of S$1.15 million, RM3 million, €15,000 (RM68,995) and US$15,000 (RM65,854.50) from the same company in connection with his official duties.

Presiding judge Yazid Mustafa ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against the Umno president.

According to the judge, the witnesses who testified against the Bagan Datuk MP were not credible and that their testimonies could not be relied on.

He also said that there was no sufficient evidence to prove Zahid had received money as suggested by the prosecution.

Yazid said that the prosecution failed to produce any close-circuit television recordings to show cash being delivered to Zahid’s residence.  

Touching on the personal ledger that kept a record of cash payments made to various politicians, government staff and Zahid, owned by the former administrative manager of the company that was awarded the VLN contract, Yazid said the ledger was unreliable and no weightage should be given to it. – September 23, 2022.