Zahid's VLN graft trial: Prosecution closes case, oral submission on Sept 1
The prosecution in the corruption trial of former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is facing 40 charges in connection with the Foreign Visa System (VLN), today closed its case after calling 18 witnesses.
Deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran, who led the prosecution team, told High Court judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa that the prosecution closed its case after the 18th witness, MACC investigating officer V Mahendran, 38, finished testifying.
The prosecution in the corruption trial of former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is facing 40 charges in connection with the Foreign Visa System (VLN), today closed its case after calling 18 witnesses.
Deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran, who led the prosecution team, told High Court judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa that the prosecution closed its case after the 18th witness, MACC investigating officer V Mahendran, 38, finished testifying.
Yazid then ordered the defence to file its written submissions on Aug 29 and the prosecution on Sept 5.
The judge also set Sept 1, 2, 5 to 8 to hear their oral submissions before deciding whether to acquit or order Zahid to enter his defence on the 40 charges.
"I also take the opportunity to thank the defence and the prosecution for their cooperation that the (prosecution’s) case can be closed today,” he said.
Rozela informed the court that the prosecution had brought 27 witnesses to the defence, including Home Ministry’s former deputy secretary-general (Control and Enforcement) Wahab Mohd Yasin; deputy director-general (Development II) Public Private Partnership Unit (UKAS) Raja Muhammad Azhan Shah Raja Muhammad and MACC officer S Vijaya Kumar, who is also the complainant in the case.
Earlier, Mahendran told the court that he did record the testimony by Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein because there were no witness statements or information in the Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd’s (UKSB) ledger regarding payments to the politician.
He said this when cross-examined by lawyer Ahmad Zaidi Zainal on why he did not record Hishammuddin’s testimony even though the minister’s name was on the MACC’s complaint form.
Zaidi: Yesterday, you (Mahendran) told the court that the investigation focused only on Zahid?
Mahendran: Disagree, the focus was on the VLN and OSC (One Stop Center) contracts involving the ministry’s officials and the ministers.
The witness said the ministers he was referring to were Hishammuddin and Zahid.
He also disagreed with the lawyer's suggestion that Zahid only received RM100,000 twice from UKSB and the testimony by main witnesses of the case cannot be trusted.
The witnesses referred to are former UKSB administrative manager David Tan Siong Sun and two former UKSB directors, Harry Lee Vui Khiun and Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani.
In the trial, which began on May 24 last year, the prosecution was also represented by Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, Abdul Malik Ayob, Zander Lim Wai Keong and B Thavani while lawyers appearing for Zahid included Hisyam Teh Poh Teik and Hamidi Mohd Noh.
Zahid, 69, is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to SG$13.56 million (RM44 million) from UKSB for himself as then home minister to extend the company’s contract as the operator of OSC service in China and the VLN system, as well as to maintain the contract agreement to supply the VLN integrated system to the same company by the Home Ministry.
For another seven counts, he was charged with obtaining for himself SG$1,150,000 (RM3.7 million), RM3 million, €15,000 (RM68,700) and US$15,000 (RM66,000) from the same company which has official links with his official duty.
He was charged with committing all the offences at Seri Satria, Precinct 16, Putrajaya, and Country Heights Kajang between October 2014 and March 2018.
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