KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 1): Umno President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had carried out welfare and charitable activities for the poor and needy as well as constructed a mosque worth RM10 million in Melaka, his special officer Datuk Mohd Kamal Abdullah testified in court on Tuesday (Nov 1).
Taking the stand as Zahid’s sixth witness in the Umno president's defence against his 47 charges, including for the alleged criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving RM31 million belonging to charitable foundation Yayasan Akalbudi, Kamal said Zahid had made a number of donations for charity as well as contributed RM10 million for the construction of the mosque in Masjid Tanah, Melaka.
Kamal also said the mosque was named after the parents of Zahid's wife (Masjid Salmah Khamis).
Kamal also spoke of another mosque in Bagan Datuk, Perak, which he testified that Zahid had named after his mother and father, Masjid Tuminah Hamidi.
He said that the mosque has been under construction since the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission had begun investigations on Yayasan Akalbudi; its funds has been frozen, thus the construction of the mosque was halted.
He added that the mosque was sponsored fully by Yayasan Akalbudi and Yayasan Al-Falah as developers.
Kamal, who was reading from his witness statement before judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, also said that Yayasan Akalbudi’s money was also used to build mosques, suraus and religious schools as well as aid the poor, orphans and single mothers.
Kamal said Zahid did not only confine his donations to his Bagan Datuk constituency, he also donated to other nations as well.
Before Kamal, another witness testifying in Zahid’s defence was ex-senior private secretary Sabri Zainudin Zainul, who also testified to Zahid being a charitable man.
Sabri said many people had come to see Zahid in his office when he was deputy prime minister to ask for donations and Zahid would usually give them in cash.
Sabri even testified that Zahid had helped opposition MPs who came to him.
“There was once he helped Datuk Mahfuz Omar (PH-Pokok Sena) to donate four cows in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidil Adha,” he added.
In Zahid’s 12 CBT charges, he is alleged to have used the funds to make payments for personal credit cards, insurance policies and licences of personal vehicles, remittances to a law firm, and contributions to the Royal Malaysian Police football association.
Each of the CBT charges, filed under Section 409 of the Penal Code, carries an imprisonment term of up to 20 years, whipping and a fine. As for the money laundering charges, each conviction is punishable by a jail term of no more than 15 years, and a fine of no less than five times the sum or value of the proceeds involved — whichever is higher.
The trial continues before Sequerah on Wednesday.