KUALA LUMPUR: Since its establishment in 1997, charity foundation Yayasan Akalbudi, which was founded by former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, had never filed its annual financial statement and report.
Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) executive officer Salma Hanum Ibrahim said this was based on checks she made in the commission’s CBS-ROC system.
She said based on the system, the foundation had been struck off on Sept 8, 2017, over its failure to comply with the terms and conditions set by CCM.
“Yayasan Akalbudi’s status was changed to ‘striking off’ on Sept 8, 2017, which is on the same day the foundation was gazetted in the government gazette.
“'Striking off’ is a process executed on registered companies which fail to comply with the terms and conditions set by the CCM such as, among others, failing to file its financial statement and annual report to the commission three years in a row.
“Based on the system, Yayasan Akalbudi had never filed its annual report and financial report since its establishment,” she said.
Salma, 39, was the second prosecution witness to testify in Zahid's trial on his 47 criminal breach of trust (CBT), corruption and money-laundering charges involving millions of ringgit of Yayasan Akalbudi’s funds.
She also testified that based on the system, on Dec 24, 2018, the ‘striking off’ action was stopped when the foundation came under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Another witness, former Affin Bank Bhd branch manager Massayu Mohd Ariffin, confirmed that she had signed a RM17, 953,185.21 cheque from Yayasan Akalbudi to Messrs Lewis & Co, a trustee of the foundation.
She said the cheque dated June 23, 2016, was issued based on a money transfer application.
During cross-examination by Zahid’s counsel Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, Massayu said that a Signature Maintenance form which was shown to her stated that Zahid had applied to be named as the sole signatory of Yayasan Akalbudi.
The trial continues before High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.