KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today argued that the RM6 million he received in the course of performing his duty as Home Minister was not a reward for giving a contract to a company to insert microchips into Malaysian passports.
Instead, his lawyer submitted that the money given through two transactions of RM5 million and RM1 million, was a political donation which includes charity.
Hamidi Mohd Noh, who is one of the counsels representing Zahid, dismissed accusations that the money was given to his client as a bribe or reward.
He said a prosecution witness had also testified that the corruption charges filed against Zahid was slander (fitnah).
At this point High Court Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah interrupted Hamidi and asked why money meant for political donation had been banked into Yayasan Akalbudi, a charitable foundation set up by Zahid.
To this, Hamidi responded by saying that the businessman who gave the money viewed political donation and charity to mean the same thing.
He said this when submitting on the two bribery charges faced by Zahid, namely receiving RM6 million total gratification from Syarikat Datasonic Group Bhd director Chew Ben Ben in the form of cheques issued by Sarana Kencana Sdn Bhd.
The Umno president was accused of committing the offence on April 26, 2017, whereby Datasonic Technologies Sdn Bhd was appointed to supply Malaysian passport chips for five years.
However, Hamidi argued that Chew had testified that the charges were nothing but slander.
At this point Collin asked Hamidi if a witness would be exposing himself by agreeing that there were corrupt practices.
"Wouldn't he be inclined to distance himself under the circumstances?"
Hamidi replied that it was the defence's argument that there was no corruption as the witness had said it was "fitnah".
"When they gave the money, it was not intended to be corrupt money."
It was previously reported that Chew had testified that he handed over the cheques to Zahid at the latter's official residence as political donations to Barisan Nasional (BN).
The court also heard that the money was later banked into the account of law firm Lewis & Co, which was holding the RM6 million for Yayasan Akalbudi.
The defence will continue its submissions tomorrow.