RM360,000 to TS Consultancy not to help Umno in voter registration, Zahid tells court

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

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

“I have stated that the RM360,000 payment made by Yayasan Akalbudi to TS Consultancy was for the printing of the Quran,” he said, adding that the Quran printing was also in line with giving to charity as laid out in the memorandum and articles of the foundation.

He said this when questioned by deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran while defending himself on 47 charges: 12 of criminal breach of trust, eight of bribery and 27 of money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit in Yayasan Akalbudi funds.

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

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

Raja Rozela: Datuk Seri, don’t you remember the testimony of TS Consultancy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar in court, who said that his company was funded by the 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 about the company’s need for Yayasan Akalbudi’s financial assistance.

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

On the RM10 million cheque from Yayasan Akalbudi 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 met Armada Holdings CEO 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 Wasi is that the company (Armada) intended 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,” he said.

When asked by Raja Rozela if he knew that Armada Holdings was not yet incorporated 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 today.