KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court today heard that the eight bribery charges preferred against Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in relation to the funds from Yayasan Akalbudi could not stand.
His lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik said this was because the evidence adduced by the prosecution was 'very vague'.
"The charges against the accused have no legs to stand on. We ask the court not to call for the defence of the accused based on the very vague evidence adduced by the prosecution," he said.
The lawyer said this in his submissions at the end of the prosecution's case in the former deputy prime minister's corruption trial involving millions of ringgit of Yayasan Akalbudi funds.
Hisyam said throughout the trial at the prosecution's stage, none of the witnesses had testified that Zahid was given bribes nor were there elements of corruption in the payments which were made to Lewis & Co, the law firm which had been identified as the trustee for the charity foundation founded by Zahid.
He said the payments made to the foundation were political donations and for charity and this was supported by financial documents.
He said the prosecution witnesses had also testified that the transactions were in fact audited by internal and external auditors.
"Witnesses have also agreed that they were open transactions, nothing suspicious about the transactions.
"Based on the manner of the transactions, there was no corrupt element involved. The prosecution witnesses said they had never bribed the accused," Hisyam said.
In regards with cheques which became the subject matter of the bribery charges, the lawyer said the payments went into the account of Lewis & Co and not into the accused's personal bank account.
He reiterated that all the transactions being disputed were done openly and there were no elements of secrecy in the payments.
"We describe these transactions as open transactions, no element of secrecy, it has all been scrutinised...the cheques could also be traced.
"All of the payments were received in a form of cheque and not cash. It was not made in the dark or in suspicious circumstances," he said.
Hisyam is expected to continue with his submissions before judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah tomorrow.
Zahid is standing trial on 47 charges of money laundering and CBT involving millions from his foundation, Yayasan Akalbudi, and accepting bribes for various projects during his tenure as Home Minister.
Twelve of the charges are for CBT, eight for corruption, and the remaining 27 for money laundering.
The trial started on Nov 18, 2019 and is now at the end of the prosecution's case.