He said the investigation also focused on Zahid, who was home minister between 2013 and 2018, as he was the one who extended Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd’s (UKSB) contract as the operator of the one-stop centre in China and the foreign visa (VLN) system.
The witness said this when cross-examined by Zahid’s lawyer, Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, on why the investigation did not extend to others whose names also appeared in a ledger kept by UKSB’s former administrative manager, David Tan.
“They were not involved in the contract extension,” he said, adding that other MACC officers were now probing into those allegations.
Tan, the 17th prosecution witness, had previously disclosed that between 2014 and 2018, payments had been made to various ministers, politicians and government servants, which were recorded in a spreadsheet on 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 those who either received money directly or through proxies.
He had also identified Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan, former transport minister Chan Kong Choy and ex-international trade and industry minister Ong Ka Chuan as recipients of funds from UKSB.
However, all of them have issued media statements to rebut Tan’s testimony in court.
Questioned further by Zaidi, Mahendran agreed that the money Zahid received from UKSB was a political donation, which is one of the points advanced by the accused.
Examined by deputy public prosecutor Zander Lim earlier, Mahendran said Hishammuddin’s name did not appear in the ledger. Hishammuddin was Zahid’s predecessor.
“From my investigation, his name was not found in the ledger,” the witness said.
UKSB secured both contracts when Hishammuddin was home minister between 2009 and 2013.
Tan had admitted during cross-examination by Zahid’s lawyers that Hishammuddin’s officers, identified as Amy and Botak Min, had received the money.
Zahid, who is Bagan Datuk MP, is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million (RM42 million) from UKSB to extend the firm’s contracts as operator of the one-stop centre and VLN system, as well as to maintain the agreement for the supply of the VLN integrated system.
The Umno president is also accused of another seven counts 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.
Hearing before trial judge Yazid Mustafa continues.