Harapan selectively prosecuted me, 20 BN leaders - Zahid

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi again claimed at the High Court today that the previous Pakatan Harapan government had selectively prosecuted him and 20 other BN leaders after winning the 14th general election and that the move was politically motivated.

Zahid, 69, said when BN failed to form a government in 2018, he and other leaders, including former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan, and former federal territories minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, were dragged to court for criminal offences.

“Your Honour, I am aware that on May 9, 2018, when the government under BN failed to obtain enough seats to form a government, a coalition of other parties took over and in June (2018) an MACC report was made against me,” he said.

The former deputy prime minister said this during re-examination by his lawyer, Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, when making his defence on 47 charges involving 12 for criminal breach of trust (CBT), eight for corruption, and 27 charges for money laundering, involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi (YAB).

According to Zahid, when Harapan took over the federal government, charges that had been made against 15 individuals in court were withdrawn, including against Bagan member of Parliament Lim Guan Eng, Sungai Buloh member of Parliament R Sivarasa, and the then PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli.

“If this is not a politically motivated charge, I don't know what other terms can be used. Charges against the accused were withdrawn by the attorney-general at the time, while individuals from the losing party were dragged to court and charged,” Zahid said.

He said the investigation should prioritise issues that damage the system of justice and enforcement, instead of conducting an investigation as a move to allow leaders who took over the government to take their revenge.

Questioned by Zaidi whether he had been threatened, either subtly or harshly, by the prime minister and deputy prime minister regarding the YAB case, Zahid said:

“Not specifically threatened over matters related to YAB, but threats to my position in the party as the Umno president.

“The then prime minister, (Dr) Mahathir (Mohamad), said he wanted to meet me and the threat made against me was that if I did not leave the party and dissolve Umno, something would be done to me, certainly these charges made against me were made as a result of the threat,” he said.

Zahid said Mahathir did admit to some media that he had asked him (Zahid) to leave the party and dissolve Umno.

Hence, this admission provides strong evidence in the case, he added.

The hearing before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues at 2pm.

- Bernama

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