Testifying in the former deputy prime minister’s corruption trial, witness Mohd Tharuzi Mohd Nor, an investigating officer with the agency, said he also couldn’t find any evidence that the two plots were donated by any corporation or private individual.
“There is no evidence of any money paid to Yayasan Alfalah by Yayasan Akalbudi, nor any receipts to say both plots of land were donated by Mastoro Kenny IT or one Mubarak Hussain Akhtar Husin,” he said, in response to a question from deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Sazilee Abdul Khairi.
Yayasan Akalbudi is a foundation owned by Zahid while Yayasan Alfalah belongs to Zahid’s brother, Mohamad Nasaee.
Zahid faces 47 charges of money laundering and criminal breach of trust involving funds from Yayasan Akalbudi, and accepting bribes for various projects during his tenure as home minister.
Previously, the court heard that developer Country Heights Bhd sold the two plots of land for RM5.9 million but there was a mystery over who actually paid the money for the purchase.
Sazilee then asked if the witness knew who were the trustees in Yayasan Alfalah. Tharuzi told the court there were only three trustees, namely Nasaee, lawyer Faisalluddin Mohamat Yusuff and one Farid Abdullah.
“We could not find Farid Abdullah because he is not in Malaysia.
“It is awkward for three people to run an entire foundation,” he added.
Meanwhile Zahid’s lawyer Mohd Haziq Dhiyauddin Razali asked Tharuzi if he was aware of Yayasan Akalbudi’s constitution, that stipulated that the foundation aimed to contribute to the people’s welfare.
Tharuzi said he was not aware of Yayasan Akalbudi’s constitution.
Haziq: If that was the case, wouldn’t it be normal for Yayasan Akalbudi to contribute to Yayasan Alfalah?
Tharuzi: I disagree.
The lawyer suggested that the source of money for the land purchase did not come from illegal sources, but Tharuzi said he disagreed with the defence’s contention.
Meanwhile, another MACC officer Mohd Fahmee Mohamad Moor testified that a money changer, Omar Ali Abdullah was instructed by Zahid to convert cash into cheques.
“Based on my investigations, Omar Ali did not report the transactions to Bank Negara Malaysia. This includes transactions to convert cash in foreign currencies into cheques.
“He (Omar) needed to record the transactions, such as taking down customers’ details, on foreign currency exchange but he did not do so,” he said, when asked by deputy public prosecutor Harris Ong.
Fahmee told the court that Omar used his wife’s company (Ekares Sdn Bhd) to issue cheques to law firm Lewis & Co, as a “camouflage” to hide the source of money.
The hearing continues before High Court Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah tomorrow.