KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 – A bank clerk told the High Court here today that Yayasan Akalbudi, founded by Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had seven active fixed deposit accounts amounting to RM17.95 million in 2016.
Royasmin Mohd Roddy, 43, who works at Affin Bank, Jalan Bunus, Kuala Lumpur branch here said the information was obtained when she was instructed by bank officer Narimah Miswadi to prepare a remittance application form from the charity foundation.
“While I was preparing the remittance application form, I found that Yayasan Akalbudi had seven active fixed deposit accounts amounting to RM17,953,191.04,” the 11th prosecution witness said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Lee Keng Fatt.
She said this when reading her witness statement on the sixth day of the trial of the former deputy prime minister who is facing 47 charges involving millions of ringgit of Yayasan Akalbudi funds.
Royasmin, who has been working with the bank since 1996 also confirmed that the application totalling RM17,953,185.21 was from Yayasan Akalbudi to Messrs Lewis & Co when referring to the Affin Bank remittance application form dated June 23, 2016.
“Based on this form, I also prepared a Banker’s Cheque. I submitted the form and the unsigned banker’s cheque to Puan Narimah Binti Miswadi for further action,” she said.
Narimah, who was the sixth prosecution witness in her statement had said Ahmad Zahid ordered her to withdraw RM17,953,185.21 from the Yasasan’s fixed deposit accounts to make payments to Messrs Lewis & Co, the trustee of the Yayasan, when she met Ahmad Zahid on June 16, 2016 at his office at the Home Affairs Ministry in Putrajaya.
Ahmad Zahid, 66, pleaded not guilty to 47 charges with 12 of them for criminal breach of trust, eight for corruption and 27 for money laundering involving millions of ringgit in Yayasan Akalbudi funds.
Earlier, the 10th prosecution witness, senior vice-president of Ambank Berhad (Ambank) in charge of the management of credit card authorisation and fraud control, Yeoh Eng Leong, 58, testified that he did not know whether Ahmad Zahid signed 35 cheques to pay for his credit cards to Ambank.
During cross-examination by Ahmad Zahid’s lead counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Yeoh also said that he did not know whether the signatures on the 35 cheques paid to the bank were made using a stamp and not by handwritten signatures.
The hearing before Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow. — Bernama
