Zahid’s foundation never audited or submitted accounts, court told

KUALA LUMPUR: A former company secretary for Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s Yayasan Akalbudi had his service terminated after he informed authorities in 2007 that the foundation had never audited nor submitted financial statements, the High Court was told.

Idris Kechek, who was the first company secretary for the foundation, said this in a statement made to the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in 2018, shortly before he died.

Deputy public prosecutor Lee Keng Fatt said the prosecution wanted to tender Idris’ statement to the High Court.

“We are making this application under Section 32(1) of the Evidence Act as this witness is no longer around,” he added.

MACC officer Mohd Khairi Ibrahim told Zahid’s corruption trial that he had recorded Idris’ statement on June 8, 2018 and July 17, 2018.

According to the statement taken from Idris, the order to terminate his services came from Zahid and was communicated to him by then Yayasan Akalbudi trustee, Mohd Samsuri Tun.

Idris had also said he was not aware of Yayasan Akalbudi’s operations and where the foundation received its funds from.

“I was only in charge of the secretarial duties,” he said.

Previously, the court heard that Yayasan Akalbudi was incorporated on March 18, 1997. The foundation aimed to perform charity work.

The hearing continues before High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah tomorrow.

Before the proceeding ended, deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran told the court that the prosecution had two more witnesses for tomorrow after which it would wrap up its case.

Zahid faces 47 charges of money laundering and CBT involving funds from Yayasan Akalbudi, and accepting bribes for various projects during his tenure as home minister. — Free Malaysia Today