The Malaysian Insight

THE RM5 million sum that former home minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi received from Berani & Jujur Trading that was later paid to a mosque contractor does not justify the accused’s corrupt intent, the prosecution said today.

Deputy public prosecutor Gan Peng Kun said in Zahid’s corruption trial how the Umno president had spent a “donation” has no connection with his intention in receiving the funds.

The money, in 10 cheques, was from businessman Junaith Asharab Md Shariff.

“The purpose the accused received 10 cheques from Junaith cannot be legalised by the fact that they were used to subsequently pay the contractor of the mosque.

“The element to be proved is the accused has received the 10 cheques as an inducement for him to help Mastoro Kenny to get MyEG projects,” Gan told the Kuala Lumpur High Court. 

The prosecution said there is sufficient evidence that Zahid had corruptly received monies as inducement to award multi-million ringgit contracts under the purview of his ministry then. 

Previously, Junaith testified in court as the 36th prosecution witness that Zahid had promised to award him MyEG projects worth RM50 million after the 14th general election. 

Zahid said this when Junaith handed him the cheques, the witness said.

In his witness statement, Junaith also said that he had asked his former schoolmate M. Kumaraguru M. Muthusamy to register Mastoro Kenny with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) to carry out the MyEG projects promised by Zahid. 

This had been confirmed by Kumaraguru who testified as the 35th prosecution witness during the trial, Gan reminded the court today.

“The SSM record shows that Mastoro Kenny was indeed registered on August 19, 2016, but the registration expired a year later. 

“The registration of Mastoro Kenny was left to expire a year after registration and it was never renewed. 

“This goes to show that Mastoro Kenny was set up to only receive the MyEG projects as stated by Junaith,” Gan submitted. 

The prosecutor also raised the evidence by 92nd prosecution witness Mohd Zamri Abdul Rashid, an investigator with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), who said that there were indeed MyEG projects in the Home Ministry. 

“The accused as the home affairs minister definitely has a say as to whom the MyEG projects in the Home Ministry would be awarded,” Gan said. 

Zahid’s defence team earlier argued that the prosecution did not manage to show any link between the projects from the ministry and Mastoro Kenny.

Today, Gan said the promise by the accused to help Mastoro Kenny is a future event, which has yet to happen. 

“Since it is a future event, it is logical and common sense that the company MyEG has never heard of Mastoro Kenny. 

“In fact, MyEG has stated that ‘they have no knowledge of the dealings between Mastoro Kenny and Zahid’,” Gan said. 

Zahid, who is Bagan Datuk MP, is facing 47 charges – 12 counts of criminal breach of trust, 27 counts of money laundering, and eight counts of bribery – involving tens of millions of ringgit in funds belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.

The hearing continues tomorrow before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah. – October 4, 2021.