KUALA LUMPUR (March 9): Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi pleaded not guilty in the High Court today to an amended charge of money laundering.
“I understand this (amended) charge is to make the sentence heftier for me. Thank you... I plead not guilty,” the former deputy prime minister said after the new charge was read to him.
The amended charge involved one of the 27 money laundering charges he faces — along with 12 criminal breach of trust charges and eight bribery charges — involving millions of ringgit belonging to charity foundation Yayasan Akalbudi.
The amendment today involved the amount (from RM6.89 million to RM7.51 million) and the number of cheques (from 30 to 35) allegedly misappropriated from Yayasan Akalbudi.
Zahid is alleged to have committed the offence by being directly involved in a transaction involving proceeds from illegal activities, by ordering Omar Ali Abdullah to convert for him cash amounting to RM7.51 million into 35 cheques that were later handed over to Messrs Lewis & Co for the purpose of opening fixed deposit accounts in Maybank.
Zahid, who is Bagan Datuk MP, is alleged to have committed the offence at Marhaba Enterprise Sdn Bhd, Jalan Bukit Bintang, on March 29, 2016 and July 15, 2016.
The amended charge was read out to Zahid before High Court Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah prior to the commencement of the trial today.