UKSB director admits giving cash to Zahid every month for 4 years

SHAH ALAM: A former director of Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) yesterday told the High Court here that his company made monthly cash payments in Singapore Dollars (SGD) to former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi from 2014 to 2018 in relation to the Foreign Visa System (VLN) Contract.

Harry Lee Vui Khun said the payment to Ahmad Zahid started with SGD200,000 per month in late 2014 and was increased to SGD520,000 per month some time in 2017.

“If I can recall correctly, the payment of SGD200,000 per month began in late 2014 and continued until mid-2015.

“Around that time, we went to his house in Country Heights, Kajang and in that meeting, Datuk Seri Zahid requested that the monthly contribution be increased. After discussing with Wan Quoris and David Tan, we agreed to a sum of SGD300,000 per month.

“Later in 2017, Datuk Seri Zahid requested to see us in his private residence. In that meeting also, Datuk Seri Zahid requested that the monthly payment be increased due to the upcoming general election. After discussing with Wan Quoris and David Tan, we agreed to increase the amount from SGD300,000 to SGD520,000 per month,” Lee said while reading his witness statement during examination-in-chief by DPP Abdul Malik Ayob at the trial of Ahmad Zahid who is facing 40 corruption charges.

The 15th prosecution witness added they came up with that figure because Ahmad Zahid had mentioned that the Umno divisions needed financial support.

“In our discussion, we agreed to a sum of about RM10,000 per division for the 100-odd Umno divisions and after conversion, the total sum came up to SGD520,000 per month,” he said.

The third prosecution witness, former Home Ministry Immigration Affairs Division deputy secretary Siti Jalilah Abd Manap, had previously testified that Ahmad Zahid had extended the UKSB contract for the VLN project even though the existing contract was valid for three more years.

When asked a supplementary question by DPP Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran, if he could recall how many times he had delivered (cash money) between 2014 and 2018, Lee replied, “70 per cent of the process was done by me…40 times in four years.”

Raja Rozela: Can you recall, who did you go with to deliver the money at Country Heights, Kajang (Ahmad Zahid’s house).

Lee: With Wan Quoris and David Tan.

Raja Rozela: In your statement, you said that the money was handed over by you alone, but you went together (with Wan Quoris n David Tan) why?

Lee: I’m not sure, but from day one it had been set that way (meeting with Ahmad Zahid) and I just followed.

Lee added that in the 40 times he delivered the money, Ahmad Zahid had never returned them.

Ahmad Zahid, 69, is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to SG$13.56 million from UKSB for himself as Home Minister, to extend the contract of the company as the operator of OSC service in China and the supply VLN system as well as to maintain the contract agreement to supply the VLN integrated system to the same company by the Home Ministry.

For another seven counts, he was charged with obtaining for himself SGD1,150,000, RM3 million, EURO15,000 and USD15,000 from the same company which has official links with his official duty. — Bernama