Testifying in Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption trial, UKSB’s former administrative manager, David Tan, said Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan received a total of RM1.162 million, as stated in a ledger.
“He received monthly payments as political donations and for the general election,” Tan said when cross-examined by Zahid’s lawyer, Hamidi Mohd Noh.
He said the codename as found in the ledger for Shahril was “S Pat”.
“He was paid as he (Shahril) was close to Khairy Jamaluddin,” he said in reference to the former Umno Youth chief and current health minister.
Shahril, 36, is also the economic adviser in the prime minister’s office.
Tan said former transport minister Chan Kong Choy received RM7.8 million from UKSB, and former international trade and industry minister Ong Ka Chuan received RM920,000.
“The codename for Chan was ‘Prof’ and ‘OKC’ for Ong,” he said.
The 17th prosecution witness had previously disclosed payments made to other ministers, politicians and government servants as he kept a ledger of payments made between 2014 and 2018 in a spreadsheet in his laptop.
He had named former prime ministers Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Muhyiddin Yassin, former Sabah chief minister Shafie Apdal, former foreign minister Anifah Aman, former home minister Hishammuddin Hussein and former deputy foreign minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican as among the other recipients who received money directly or through proxies.
With the exception of Mahathir, whose name was only revealed today, the others had made press statements last month to deny receiving money from UKSB.
Re-examined by deputy public prosecutor Zander Lim, Tan said he found it unnecessary to lodge a police report on the matter.
“Money has been given to them and this court proceeding is ongoing,” he said, when asked why he did not make a report when the politicians contradicted him.
Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Zahid’s lead counsel, had also submitted the press statements as exhibits.
Zahid, 69, is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million (RM42 million) from UKSB for himself as then home minister to extend the firm’s contract as the operator of the One-Stop Centre in China and the foreign visa (VLN) system as well as to maintain the contract agreement for the supply of the VLN integrated system.
On another seven counts, he is accused of obtaining for himself S$1.15 million, RM3 million, 15,000 Swiss francs and US$15,000 from the same company in connection with his official duties.
He is charged with committing all the offences at Seri Satria in Presint 16, Putrajaya, and at Country Heights, Kajang, between October 2014 and March 2018.
Zahid is advancing the defence of selective prosecution.
The hearing before judge Yazid Mustafa continues tomorrow.
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