KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer said he found it strange that Yayasan Al-Falah, a charitable foundation which belonged to the younger brother of Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, was only managed by three people.
Mohd Tharuzi Mohd Nor, 40, who was testifying in the former deputy prime minister's trial said there were only three members on the board of trustees and no other names listed under the foundation.
The three who were the members of the board were Zahid's brother Datuk Seri Mohamad Nasaee Ahmad Tarmizi, lawyer Faisalludin Mohamat Yusuff and Mohd Farid Abdullah.
"Managing a foundation with only three people is rather weird. Besides, the three, there were no other members (in the foundation)," he said during re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Sazilee Abdul Khairi.
The 94th prosecution witness said this when he was asked about his investigations into the purchase of two bungalow lots at Country Heights, Kajang, which were paid for via a cheque from law firm Messrs Lewis & Co.
Messrs Lewis & Co was previously identified as the trustee for Yayasan Akalbudi, a charity foundation belonging to Zahid.
Tharuzi also testified that there were no documents in relation to the purchase of the bungalow lots or that the units were being paid for using funds from Yayasan Akalbudi.
He said there were also no documents or transactions of any donations made to Yayasan Al-Falah from Yayasan Akalbudi on the purchase of the bungalows which he found strange.
Asked about the distance between the bungalow lots and where Zahid and Nasaee reside, the witness said the premises were near the siblings' houses.
Tharuzi also revealed that RM5.9 million was paid by Yayasan Al-Falah to Bee Garden Holdings Sdn Bhd, the property owner via a cheque from Lewis & Co upon Zahid's instructions.
He said based on his investigations, the transfer of ownership of both properties to Yayasan Al-Falah was successful.
Meanwhile another MACC investigating officer Mohd Fahmee Mohamad Nor, 39, testified that there were 35 cheques from five banks under the name Lewis & Co that were suspected to be part of money laundering activities.
He said Zahid had ordered a money changing company to convert cash from unknown individuals and companies into cheques to conceal the transactions of the monies.
The 95th prosecution witness said Zahid had ordered Marhaba Enterprise Sdn Bhd owner Omar Ali Abdullah to convert money the latter received from unknown parties into cheques under the name of Lewis & Co.
He added that based on investigations, Omar Ali did not record any transactions on the money exchange.
He said Omar Ali had also not reported the money exchange to Bank Negara Malaysia.
Zahid, 68, faces 47 charges, 12 of them for criminal breach of trust (CBT), eight for corruption and 27 for money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit of funds from Yayasan Akalbudi.
The trial continues before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah tomorrow.