Crime & Courts

Zahid used RM17.9 million of Yayasan Akalbudi funds to buy hotel in Bali for daughter

KUALA LUMPUR: The prosecution in Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's corruption trial today zoomed in on how the former deputy prime minister had used RM17.9 million of charity foundation Yayasan Akalbudi's funds to purchase a hotel in Bali for his daughter.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Datuk Raja Rozelan Raja Toran said there was ample evidence to show Zahid had dishonestly misappropriated the foundation's money by using it for a purpose other than what was intended, which was to help the poor and eradicate poverty.

She said the accused had caused the foundation's funds to be withdrawn from seven fixed deposit (FD) accounts and transferred into Lewis & Co's account, a law firm which had never provided any services to Yayasan Akalbudi.

The real purpose for the RM17.9 million FD withdrawals in 2016, Raja Rozela said, was to facilitate Zahid's daughter Datuk Nurulhidayah's bid to buy a hotel in Bali.

The DPP also tore into Zahid's defence that he was totally oblivious about the use of the foundation's cheques to pay for his personal expenses, and had blamed his secretary - Major Mazlina Mazlan, for the mess he had found himself in.

To this, Raja Rozela said Zahid was just taking the easy way out by making Mazlina a scapegoat even though it was abundantly clear from the evidence that she was just following his orders.

"Her job was to handle his finances and she carried out her responsibilities dutifully and to the best of her abilities.

"Her conduct and demeanour are consistent with that of a soldier obeying the commands of her superior," she said.

Raja Rozela added that Mazlina had also testified that Zahid often conducted spot checks on Yayasan Akalbudi's bank statements and cheque books once or twice a year.

It was reported that Mazlina had been seconded to serve as Zahid's executive secretary and worked for him for seven years, starting at the Ministry of Defence and onwards to the Home Ministry and the Deputy Prime Minister's office.

Raja Rozela was submitting at the end of the prosecution's case against Zahid, who is facing 47 charges of Criminal Breach of Trust (CBT), corruption and money laundering involving Yayasan Akalbudi funds.

He faces a maximum of 20-years' jail and fine if convicted.

The prosecution would continue with its submission before High Court Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah on Monday.

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