SHAH ALAM: The defence in Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's corruption trial involving the foreign visa system programme today zoomed in on a ledger dubbed the 'buku tiga lima', purportedly containing details of payments made by Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd to several high-profile politicians.
Zahid's lawyer, Hamidi Mohd Noh, grilled former Ultra Kirana director Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani on the contents of the ledger, which contained the records of payments made by the company, including to Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
Earlier, Wan Quoris, who is the 16th prosecution witness, said the payments were contributions given indirectly to Khairy through the Rembau Umno division several years ago.
He said the contributions ranged from RM50,000 to RM200,000 and were given for official political, humanitarian and social purposes.
"I am very close to Khairy and the financial contributions were not personal.
"He (Khairy) is a national leader and if there was a disaster, I would assist in terms of national disaster relief programmes and also for by-elections as well," he said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin.
During the cross-examination by Hamidi, the lawyer pressed on several initials mentioned in the ledger, which Wan Quoris claimed he did not have any knowledge of.
Hamidi: There is a payment of more than RM15,000 in April 2015 for a helicopter ride.
Wan Quoris: Yes.
Hamidi: This is payment for Khairy's helicopter ride with you.
Wan Quoris: Yes. This was during a disaster.
Hamidi: There are payment remarks referring to AK. AK is Akhbar Khan... Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein's political secretary?
Wan Quoris: I don't know.
Hamidi: Only Harry Lee Vui Khun (former Ultra Kirana director) can confirm these initials?
Wan Quoris: Yes.
Lee, who testified as the 15th prosecution witness last month, confirmed that Ultra Kirana was paying cash in Singaporean dollars on a monthly basis to Zahid from 2014 to 2018 in relation to the foreign visa system contract.
Wan Quoris also agreed with Hamidi's suggestion that Ultra Kirana could not afford to pay bribes or provide gifts based on its net profit and financial status.
Hamidi said Ultra Kirana's financial statements in 2014 showed that the company recorded only RM625,000 in profit with RM1.5 million in its bank.
"The company recorded RM114,000, RM4.9 million, RM12.8 million, and RM351,000 in profits between 2015 and 2018, respectively.
"Meanwhile, the company's cash in hand was about RM2.8 million, RM4.6 million, RM9 million and RM1.3 million during the same period," he said.
Wan Quoris agreed that Ultra Kirana was in no position to provide gifts or pay bribes to anyone in those years.
Zahid, 69, who is Bagan Datuk member of parliament, has pleaded not guilty to 33 charges of receiving SG$13.46 million from Ultra Kirana as an inducement to extend the company's contract as the operator of a one-stop centre in China and the foreign visa system, as well as to maintain the agreement to supply a foreign visa integrated system paraphernalia to the same company by the Home Ministry.
He is also facing another seven charges of accepting SG$1,150,000, RM3,000,000, €15,000 and US$15,000 in cash from the same company, which he knew had connection with his function as then home minister.
The trial before judge Datuk Mohd Yazid Mustafa continues tomorrow.