KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 — Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today told the High Court he would certainly reject any donation if he knew it came from illegal sources, citing his Muslim faith when saying so.
Ahmad Zahid said this while testifying in his own defence in a corruption trial here, where he is alleged to have received RM21.25 million in bribes.
Ahmad Zahid, who is a former deputy prime minister, was asked today to elaborate on RM10 million in purported donations via 10 cheques which were banked into an account where money was allegedly held on trust for his charity Yayasan Akalbudi.
Asked about the alleged donation of RM10 million in 2016 by Singapore-based businessman Paul Wong Sang Woo via the 10 cheques, Ahmad Zahid insisted that he believed the money did not come from illegal sources.
"Because that donation came from a donor from Sarawak, and Paul Wong is a partner to that donor and he is not in Malaysia, and used that Wong to channel those cheques, therefore I certainly have the view that that money is not money which came from aktiviti haram atau sumber haram (illegal activities or illegal sources) which was given by that Wong.
"I, as a Muslim, if I know sumbernya haram (the source is illegal), then I would certainly reject such a donation, that is my pegangan (view)," he said in replying a question by his lawyer Hamidi Mohd Noh.
In this trial, Ahmad Zahid ― who is also a former home minister― is facing 47 charges, namely 12 counts of criminal breach of trust in relation to RM31 million charitable foundation Yayasan Akalbudi’s funds, 27 counts of money-laundering, and eight counts of bribery charges over RM21.25 million of alleged bribes.
Under the alleged offences of money-laundering, Ahmad Zahid is accused of having engaged directly in transactions involving proceeds of unlawful activities or funds originating from illegal activities.
Ahmad Zahid’s trial before High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah resumes tomorrow.
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