Sitting United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) president Dato’ Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has officially been cleared on all graft charges in relation with the foreign visa system (FVS) contract. As reported by local news outlet Free Malaysia Today, the verdict was delivered after High Court judge Yazid Mustafa rules that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case.
Zahid acquitted on 40 charges of bribery
This brings a conclusion to Zahid’s FVS trial that began back in May of 2021, which saw him being confronted with 33 charges of bribery amounting to RM42 million from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd, in exchange for extending the company’s contract tenure as the One Stop Centre (OSC) service operator in China, as well as the Foreign Visa System (FVN) used by the Home Ministry.
Alongside 33 charges of bribery, he was also charged with seven other counts of soliciting S$1.15 million, RM3 million, 15,000 Swiss francs and US$15,000, through the very same company from his official capacity as Home Minister at the time. The offenses were reportedly committed at two locations: at Seri Satria in Precinct 16 of Putrajaya, as well as at Country Heights, Kajang, between the months of October 2014 and March 2018.
A total of 18 prosecution witnesses were called to trial, including former Home Ministry secretary-general Alwi Ibrahim, in addition to three former directors of UKSB that consisted of Mr VK Lee, Mr Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani and Mr David Tan Siong Sun, reports Channel News Asia.
He still faces 47 other charges in relation to Yayasan Akalbudi
With that said, the 69-year-old still faces 47 charges involving the alleged misappropriation of tens of millions of Ringgit in funds from Yayasan Akalbudi (YAB). These include 27 charges for money laundering, 12 charges for criminal breach of trust, and eight charges for corruption.
However according to Astro Awani, Zahid claims that RM65 million of funds received by him from the charitable foundation had been contributions from individuals and corporate bodies for charity purposes.
The trial is still ongoing.
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