Witness: Instructions to deposit RM77m in cheques came from Zahid
Instructions to deposit 92 cheques worth close to RM77 million into the Yayasan Al-Falah’s client account at Messrs Lewis & Co were said to have originated from accused Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
According to a partner at the law firm, B Muralidharan, none of the cheques and banker’s cheques had come from Yayasan Al-Falah itself, the foundation chaired by Ahmad Zahid's younger stepbrother Mohamad Nasaee Ahmad Tarmizi.
Muralidharan was testifying at the Kuala Lumpur High Court during the criminal trial of Umno president and former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid (above) in relation to funds belonging to the latter’s foundation Yayasan Akalbudi.
In fact, according to the 87th prosecution witness, orders to open the client account for Yayasan Al-Falah came from Ahmad Zahid.
A file opened for the foundation contained a ledger, Muralidharan said, in which was recorded all transactions carried out upon the orders of Ahmad Zahid.
Muralidharan was testifying during examination by deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran during the trial, which had entered its 33rd day.
Raja Rozela: Why record all cheques or transactions related to the 92 cheques under the Yayasan Al-Falah file?
Muralidharan: I was instructed to keep (them) in Yayasan Al-Falah file.
Raja Rozela: These cheques, all 92 cheques, were never given by Yayasan Al-Falah?
Muralidharan: No. Given by Datuk Seri Zahid.
Raja Rozela: Who told you to open the Yayasan Al-Falah file?
Muralidharan: Datuk Seri Zahid.
Furthermore, the witness told the court that instructions for the money to be kept in Yayasan Al-Falah’s client account also originated from the accused.
Raja Rozela: Did the instructions to hold the monies (in the client account), come from Yayasan Al-Falah?
Muralidharan: No, (Instructions came from) Datuk Seri Zahid
Previously, the 66th prosecution witness, who is a lawyer and Yayasan Al-Falah trustee Faisalludin Mohamat Yusuff, told the court that Mohamad Nasaee was also the Al-Falah foundation trustee and its authorised signatory.
Faisalludin also explained the differences between the two foundations - Yasayan Al-Falah was formed for the large family of Hamidi @ Ahmad Tarmidzi Radin Abdul Fateh, who was Ahmad Zahid and Mohamad Nasaee’s late father.
The Yayasan Akalbudi foundation was for Ahmad Zahid alone, Faisalludin said.
Ahmad Zahid is the founder, trustee, and sole signatory for Yayasan Akalbudi.
The Bagan Datuk MP is facing 47 charges comprising 12 for alleged criminal breach of trust, 27 for money laundering, and eight for corruption.
Throughout the trial, Ahmad Zahid’s defence counsel has been proposing to the witness that Lewis & Co was a trustee to the charity foundation Yayasan Akalbudi.
However, Muralidharan responded in the negative, similar to his co-partner V Premshangar’s testimony yesterday.
Premshangar had also testified that the law firm never acted for Yayasan Akalbudi.
