'Zahid never instructed me to use YAB funds to pay insurance, road tax, credit cards' - Witness

KUALA LUMPUR - A former executive secretary of Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told the High Court here today that the Deputy Prime Minister had never instructed her to pay car insurance, road tax or personal credit card payments using funds from the Yayasan Akalbudi (YAB).

Datuk Rosiah Osman, 71, said throughout her tenure as Ahmad Zahid’s executive secretary from 1994 to 2011, she had made all such payments through Ahmad Zahid’s personal Maybank cheques.

Rosiah was testifying in court today during examination-in-chief by Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, who is representing Ahmad Zahid at the defence hearing for 47 charges he is facing, namely 12 criminal breach of trust, eight corruption and 27 money laundering charges involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to YAB.

According to Rosiah, credit card bills for Ahmad Zahid’s wife Datin Seri Hamidah Khamis were also paid using Ahmad Zahid’s personal cheques.

The seventh defence witness said YAB cheques were used for charitable activities, among them, for contributions to mosques.

Rosiah said she managed cheques involving YAB because the foundation did not have any support staff like accountant or secretary.

She added that Ahmad Zahid had shares in four companies, namely Kretam Holding Berhad and sister companies Tekala Corporation Berhad, Ramatex Berhad and Seng Hup Berhad.

"Datuk Seri (Ahmad Zahid) had placed the proceeds from the sale of his shares in Kretam Holding and Tekala Corporation into the Yayasan Akalbudi account but I am not sure about the proceeds from the sale of shares in two other companies (Ramatex and Seng Hup) and not aware if it went into the YAB account or not,” said Rosiah.

On Tuesday (Aug 1), Rosiah told the court that Ahmad Zahid used his personal credit cards first to purchase donation items for mosques as part of YAB’s charitable activities and such purchases were then reimbursed from the YAB funds.

Meanwhile, when questioned by Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar, Rosiah said she does not remember how many times Ahmad Zahid had used his personal credit cards to purchase donation items for mosques.

According to Rosiah, not all purchases of donation items for YAB’s charitable activities were made using Ahmad Zahid’s personal credit cards.

Rosiah said Ahmad Zahid’s credit cards were used to purchase carpets, fans and air conditioners as donations to mosques.

When Mohd Dusuki asked the witness why YAB cheques were not used for the purchase of donation items for mosques, Rosiah said: "Tak kan nak beli guna cek, jadi guna kad kredit Datuk Seri (Ahmad Zahid) dulu”.

For the 12 CBT charges, Ahmad Zahid, 70, was alleged to have used the funds to make six payments for his personal credit card usage, insurance policy and licence for his personal vehicles, remittances to a law firm and contributions to the Royal Malaysia Police Football Association.

The offences were allegedly committed at the Affin Bank Bhd branch in Jalan Bunus, off Jalan Masjid India, here, between Jan 13, 2014 and Dec 23, 2016 and the charges, under Section 409 of the Penal Code, provide for a jail term of between two and 20 years and with whipping and a fine upon conviction.

The hearing before judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah will resume on Aug 7. - BERNAMA