Zahid says never used RM6 million political donation for personal benefit

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told the High Court today that he had never used the RM6 million allegedly received as a political donation from the deputy managing director of Datasonic Group Berhad (DGB), Chew Ben Ben, for personal benefit.

Zahid, 69, also said he had never deposited the money received through two cheques into his personal accounts but that he instead handed over the money to legal firm Messrs Lewis & Co, the trustee of his charity outfit Yayasan Akalbudi.

The Bagan Datuk MP repeatedly stressed that he chose not to deposit the money into his accounts or use it for his personal benefit.

"Even though at that time I was holding the post of deputy president (of Umno) and that money could be used for political purposes, I chose to use it neither for politics nor for personal purposes, but instead to channel it for charity, waqf and religious activities," he said during cross-examination by deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob. 

Zahid is on trial for 47 charges: 12 of criminal breach of trust, eight of corruption, and 27 of money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.

When asked by Malik why the RM6 million he claimed was a political donation was not deposited into the accounts of Umno or Barisan Nasional, Zahid said it was "not necessarily (so)".

"If a politician receives a political donation, the money doesn’t necessarily need to be deposited into his party’s account as nowhere on the cheque were the words ‘donation for political party’ written.

"If money is given to a politician, he has the discretion to deposit it into his own account or any other account he deems fit," he said.

Zahid also disagreed with Malik’s suggestion that the RM6 million he received from Chew was a bribe.

In the 14th and 15th charges, Zahid is accused of receiving bribes amounting to RM6 million from Chew as a reward for appointing DTSB to implement a passport chip project for a period of five years or for a total of 12.5 million chips to be included in the polycarbonate biodata page of Malaysia's international passport by the immigration department through direct negotiations under the home ministry.

The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.