Ex-Ultra Kirana director admits giving Zahid cash every month for 4 years

A former director of Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) told the Shah Alam High Court today that his company had made cash payments in Singapore dollars on a monthly basis to former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi from 2014 to 2018 in relation to the foreign visa system (VLN) contract.

Harry Lee Vui Khun said the payments to Zahid which started in late 2014 at S$200,000 per month increased to S$520,000 per month some time in 2017.

“If I recall correctly, the payment of S$200,000 per month began in late 2014 and continued until mid-2015. Around that time, we went to his (Zahid’s) house in Country Heights, Kajang, and at that meeting, Zahid requested that the monthly contribution be increased. After discussing with Wan Quoris and David Tan, we agreed to a sum of S$300,000 per month.

“Later in 2017, Zahid requested to see us at his private residence. At that meeting also, Zahid requested that the monthly payment be increased due to the upcoming general election.

“After discussing with Wan Quoris and David Tan, we agreed to increase the amount from S$300,000 to S$520,000 per month,” he said, reading from his witness statement during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob at the trial of Zahid, who is facing 40 corruption charges.

The 15th prosecution witness said they came up with that figure because Zahid had mentioned that the Umno divisions needed financial support.

“In our discussion, we agreed to a sum of about RM10,000 per division for the 100-odd Umno divisions and after conversion, the total sum came up to S$520,000 per month,” he said.

The third prosecution witness, former home ministry immigration affairs division deputy secretary Siti Jalilah Abd Manap, previously told the court that Zahid had extended the UKSB contract for the VLN project even though the existing contract was valid for three more years.

When asked a supplementary question by deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran, if he could recall how many times he had delivered cash money between 2014 and 2018, he replied: “70% of the process was done by me… 40 times in four years.”

Raja Rozela: Can you recall, who did you go with to deliver the money at Country Heights, Kajang (Zahid’s house)?

Lee: With Wan Quoris and David Tan.

Raja Rozela: In your statement, you said that the money was handed over by you alone, but you went together (with Wan Quoris n David Tan), why?

Lee: I’m not sure, but from day one it had been set that way (meeting with Zahid) and I just followed.

Zahid, 69, faces 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million from UKSB for himself as home minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of the OSC service in China and the supply VLN system, as well as to maintain the contract agreement to supply the VLN integrated system to the same company by the home ministry.

On another seven counts, Zahid was charged with obtaining for himself S$1,150,000, RM3 million, 15,000 euros and US$15,000 in cash from the same company in connection with his official work.

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

The trial before judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa continues later today.