THE prosecution in Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption trial at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today grilled his former press secretary over her work scope.

During cross-examination, deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran suggested to Maj-Gen (R) Fadzlette Othman Merican Idris Merican that the task of requesting credit card statements and cheques from Zahid’s former executive secretary Major Mazlina Mazlan @ Ramly was beyond her scope of work as a press secretary.

However, Fadzlette, 60, did not specifically answer the question, prompting Raja Rozela to ask why the former was not able to answer something simple.

Zahid’s counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik then got up and said Raja Rozela was intimidating the witness.

Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, however, said Raja Rozela did not intimidate the witness and allowed the prosecution to ask the question.

Raja Rozela: I am trying to speak nicely. I apologise for being crude, but Datuk (Fadzlette) has yet to answer my question properly. Do you agree if I say that it’s beyond your jurisdiction to ask for bank statements and cheques from Major Mazlina because you are just a press secretary who only drafts speech texts?

Fadzlette: Disagree.

Earlier Fadzlette, in her witness statement, said she knew of issues involving Mazlina’s negligence as Zahid had mentioned it before to her . Fadzlette also said Zahid had instructed her to keep an eye on Mazlina as the former held a higher rank in the armed forces. 

“I informed Mazlina what Zahid told me. I had once asked Mazlina to show me the credit card statements and cheques that were prepared before they were to be signed by Zahid,” she said.

In addition, Fadzlette said Mazlina committed insubordination more than 10 times, but no complaint was made against her and only the deputy prime minister’s senior private secretary was informed about it.

Fadzlette, who is also the Umno president’s media director, agreed with Raja Rozela’s suggestion that no action was taken against Mazlina under the Armed Forces Act 1972.

Zahid, 69, is facing 47 charges – 12 for criminal breach of trust, corruption (8) and money laundering (27) – involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.

The trial continues tomorrow. – Bernama, September 21, 2022.