THE High Court in Kuala Lumpur was told that Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption case is strange because there has been no direct testimony presented in court to show any wrongdoing on his part.

Zahid’s lead counsel, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, said the testimony from the witnesses, comprising businessmen and company directors, showed no connection to supposed gratification received by Zahid in his official duty as then home minister.

He said, during the trial, the sums of RM13.25 million from textile wholesaler Junaith Asharab Md Shariff, RM6 million from Datasonic Technologies Sdn Bhd directors Abu Hanifah Noordin and Chew Ben Ben, and RM2 million from Profound Radiance Sdn Bhd director Azlan Shah Jaffril were said to be charity and political donations.

“None of these witnesses ever testified that there was corrupt intent on the part of the accused.

“On the contrary, all of them ruled out the element of corruption,” Hisyam submitted before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.

Calling it “strange”, Hisyam said he had never come across a case where there was no evidence of corruption, yet charges were still filed against the accused.

The lawyer challenged the prosecution to cite similar cases of this nature where accused person was convicted with witnesses confirming the money involved was not bribery.

The defence also contended that Zahid’s case be dismissed because all cheques were paid to Lewis & Co, trustee of Yayasan Akalbudi, and not to Zahid’s personal account.

Also, the defence submitted that the transactions were “open” to scrutiny because Lewis & Co financial records were subject to internal and external audit.

Zahid’s lawyers today concluded their nine days of oral submissions for all 47 charges that their client is facing, but reserved their right to make a final reply to the prosecution on two legal points relating to corruption charges.

Besides the eight corruption charges, the Bagan Datuk MP faces 12 counts of criminal breach of trust and 27 counts of money-laundering – involving millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.

The prosecution, led by deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran, will begin presenting its submissions tomorrow. – September 21, 2021.