KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer revealed that Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had received two cheques totalling RM6 million after a passport shortage problem occured which affected the Immigration Department's services.
Mohd Hizar Farhan Abdul Razi, 32, said the cheques were from IT services management company Datasonic Group Bhd (DGB) deputy managing director Chew Ben Ben.
DGB's subsidiary Datasonic Technologies Sdn Bhd (DTSB) was awarded a contract by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) in 2015 to supply passport chips for five years or 12.5 million chips to be inserted into the polycarbonate biodata page of Malaysian passports.
The 91st prosecution witness said on Sept 16, 2016, Chew was called to meet Zahid to explain the problem on the passport shortage.
"In mid April, 2017, Chew was again called to meet the accused at the latter's official residence at Sri Satria, Putrajaya.
"After this meeting, Chew handed two cheques totalling RM6 million to the accused," Mohd Hizar told the High Court.
He was testifying in Zahid's trial over 47 charges of money-laundering, bribery and criminal breach of trust (CBT).
Meanwhile, during re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Gan Peng Kun, the witness said the contract was awarded to DTSB in line with the standard operating procedure (SOP) set by the MoF.
However, Mohd Hizar said it would not have gone through without Zahid's agreement.
This, he said, happened because Zahid was the Minister of Home Affairs at that time.
Gan: Do you know what are the situations deemed non-compliant with the SOP?
Mohd HIzar: I don't know.
Gan: If the accused did not agree for the contract to be awarded to DTSB, would MoF award that contract?
Mohd Hizar: No.
Asked by the accused's counsel Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Zainal why the contract would not be awarded to DTSB without Zahid agreeing to it, the witness said it was because Zahid was the Home Affairs minister at that time.
Mohd Hizar also testified that the MoF has the authority to award the contract and not the Home Ministry.
DGB and DTSB were implicated in the criminal charges against Zahid where the former deputy prime minister is accused of receiving a RM5 million cheque from Chew.
The Bagan Datuk member of parliament is also charged with receiving another cheque of RM1 million from the same person in relation to the Malaysian passport chips.
Hearing continues before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah tomorrow.