SHAH ALAM: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi received a total of S$13.56 million from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) between October 2014 and March 2018, the High Court heard today.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) senior investigating officer V. Mahendran, 38, said UKSB payments to the former deputy prime minister started in late 2014 with S$200,000 per month, but it was increased to S$520,000 per month some time in 2017.
Mahendran said the money was delivered by two former UKSB directors, Harry Lee Vui Khiun and Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghanas, as requested by the Umno president.
"The money was delivered to Zahid at his house in Country Heights, Kajang, as well as at his official residence in Seri Satria when he was the then deputy prime minister."
He said this when testifying as the 18th prosecution witness in Zahid's corruption trial involving the foreign visa system.
He said all the transactions were recorded in UKSB's infamous ledger book dubbed the "Buku Tiga Lima", purportedly containing details of payments made by UKSB to several high-profile politicians.
"In the ledger book, former UKSB administrative manager David Tan Siong Sun codenamed Zahid as 'Monster', 'Mon', 'YB', 'Young Boy', 'ZH', and 'Z'.
"According to Harry and Wan Quoris's statements, both of them said they met Zahid in Country Heights to discuss their business," he said in his witness statement.
He said Zahid was the then home minister and had the power and influence in formulating the government's policy, especially those that involved his ministry.
"Thus, any decision made by Zahid will directly and indirectly affect UKSB's business.
"Zahid, during the discussion, had asked for political donations from UKSB and the contractor agreed," he said, adding that all this was unveiled during MACC's investigation.
Zahid, 69, who is Bagan Datuk member of parliament, had pleaded not guilty to 33 charges of receiving S$13.46 million from Ultra Kirana as inducement to extend the company's contract as the operator of a one-stop visa processing centre in China.
He is also facing another seven charges of accepting SG$1,150,000, RM3,000,000, €15,000 and US$15,000 from the same company, which he knew had connections with his function as the then home minister.
The trial before Judge Datuk Mohd Yazid Mustafa continues.