AHMAD Zahid Hamidi today denied in the Kuala Lumpur High Court that two cheques amounting to RM360,000 issued by Yayasan Akalbudi (YAB) to TS Consultancy & Resources were intended to help Umno with the registration of voters in 2015. 

Zahid, 69, who was Umno vice-president in 2015, also said he was not aware that the company, which provides training services, was set up by Umno for registration of voters. 

“I have stated that the RM360,000 payment made by YAB to TS Consultancy was to print (copies) of the Quran,” he said, adding that Quran printing is in line with charitable efforts as stated in the memorandum and articles of YAB. 

He said this when questioned by Deputy Public Prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran in defending himself against 47 charges – 12 counts of criminal breach of trust, eight counts of bribery and 27 money laundering charges – involving tens of millions of ringgit in YAB funds. 

Raja Rozela: Do you agree or disagree, Datuk Seri, as Umno vice-president at that time, you were not informed (of the initiative to establish TS Consultancy)?

Zahid: It was never discussed during the Umno Supreme Council meeting, let alone with me (as vice-president).

Raja Rozela: Datuk Seri, don’t you remember the testimony of TS Consultancy chairman, Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Wan Omar in court, who said that company was funded by Umno headquarters? 

Zahid: No, I was not aware. 

The former deputy prime minister also disagreed with Raja Rozela’s suggestion that he had been briefed by Wan Ahmad that the company needed YAB’s financial assistance. 

He said what Wan Ahmad told him was that the mandate for printing copies of the Quran had been given to the Restu Foundation, chaired by Latiff Mirasa. 

On the RM10 million cheque from YAB to Armada Holdings Sdn Bhd, a company that imports and supplies coal, Zahid said the cheque signed by him was for investment purposes.

Zahid said he had met Armada Holdings chief executive officer Wasi Khan @ Wasiyu Zama Israr and Khalid Mohamad Jiwa, the husband of singer Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin, to hold discussions on a coal project in October 2015.

“Your Honour, the explanation given by Datuk Wasi is that the company (Armada) intends to be a supplier of coal to TNB’s subsidiary (TNB Fuel Services Sdn Bhd) and Datuk K (Khalid) explained in detail to Armada about the charges imposed by TNB to register as a contractor,” she said.

When asked by Raja Rozela if he knew that Armada Holdings was not incorporated yet when the RM10 million cheque was given to him, Zahid replied: “Not to my knowledge.”

Raja Rozela: This means that due diligence (checking before the decision) supposedly by Datuk Seri was not complete.

Zahid: Yes, incomplete.

The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow. – Bernama, June 29, 2022.