THE Shah Alam High Court today acquitted former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi of all 40 corruption charges involving the foreign visa system (VLN).

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 were 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 (CCTV) 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 which was awarded the VLN contract, Yazid said the ledger was unreliable and no weightage should be given to it.

The prosecution was represented by deputy public prosecutors Raja Rozela Raja Toran, Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, Abdul Malik Ayob, Zander Lim Wai Keong, and B. Thavani, while lawyers Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Ahmad Zaidi Zainal and Hamidi Mohd Noh, represented Zahid.

The trial of the case began on May 24, 2012, and the prosecution closed its case on August 11, 2022, after calling a total of 18 witnesses. 

Zahid, who is also the Barisan Nasional chairman, had pleaded not guilty to 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to SG$13.56 million (RM43.68 million) from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd for himself as Home Minister. He is said to have extended the contract of the company as the operator of a one-stop centre (OSC) service in China and the VLN system, as well as to maintain its contract with the Home Ministry to supply the VLN integrated system.

He was charged with committing all these offences at Seri Satria, Precinct 16, Putrajaya and Country Heights, Kajang, between October 2014 and March 2018.

The charges were framed under Section 16 (a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which provides a maximum of 20 years in jail and a fine not less than five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Zahid also pleaded not guilty to 33 alternative charges framed under Section 165 of the Penal Code, whereby he was charged in his capacity as home minister with receiving bribes amounting to SG$13.56 million (RM43.68 million) in relation to the VLN system between 2014 and 2017.

On the other seven charges, he was alleged to have obtained for himself cash of SG$1,150,000, RM3 million, 15,000 Swiss Franc and US$15,000 from the same company, which he knew had a connection with his official functions.

He was charged with committing the offences at a house in Country Heights, Kajang, between June 2015 and October 2017.

The seven charges were framed under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which provides imprisonment for up to two years, or with fine, or both, upon conviction.

Wearing a cream-coloured baju Melayu, Zahid arrived to the court earlier today to chants of “Bebas President” (Free our president) by his supporters. 

Zahid was accompanied by Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan and  Umno supreme council member Shamsul Anuar Nasarah. – September 23, 2022. – September 23, 2022.