KUALA LUMPUR (June 30): Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was warned by Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran in his corruption trial that the courtroom was not a “coffee shop” or a “supreme council” meeting when the former did not answer questions precisely in the High Court here. 

Raja Rozela was asking Zahid, who was taking the stand as a defence witness in his own trial, about funds from his charity organisation Yayasan Akalbudi, and how some RM17.9 million of said funds ended up in a fixed deposit account of a law firm called Lewis & Co, among others. 

Raja Rozela had asked Zahid about his previous assertion about his then executive secretary Major Mazlina Mazlan in handling Yayasan Akalbudi’s funds — that he authorised the handling of the RM17.9 million by Lewis & Co because Mazlina was mismanaging the funds.

Zahid also said the RM17.9 million was transferred to Lewis & Co to accrue higher interest for the charity. This was when things got heated between the two. 

Raja Rozela had asked him to “agree” or “disagree” with her questions but he kept explaining. She had asked him about the funds in a fixed deposit account and put forth that Mazlina could not have used funds from the fixed deposit account. 

Raja Rozela: The money was in fixed deposit. Major Mazlina cannot touch it. Do you agree or not? 

Zahid: True, but at that time, she (Mazlina) was handling [Yayasan Akalbudi's] current account. That was the problem. 

Raja Rozela: Major Mazlina cannot handle the funds in the fixed deposit account. Do you agree with that? 

Zahid: I agree, but …

Raja Rozela then cut him off and said “thank you very much”, to which Zahid replied sarcastically: “Thank you to you too." 

'Behave yourself'

Raja Rozela then warned Zahid to be careful as he was addressing an officer of the court. 

“You are being naughty. You must be very careful, Datuk Seri. I am reminding you to behave yourself.

"I am an officer of the court and you are not in a kedai kopi (coffee shop) or an [Umno] supreme council meeting," she told him. 

Zahid then complied and answered the questions she put forth to him before the trial was adjourned for lunch shortly after. 

Zahid, 69, is facing 47 charges, including 12 for criminal breach of trust (CBT), eight for corruption and 27 for money laundering involving RM31 million of Yayasan Akalbudi funds.

For the 12 CBT charges, Zahid is alleged to have used the funds to make payments for personal credit cards, insurance policies and licences for his personal vehicles, remittances to a law firm and contributions to the Royal Malaysia Police Football Association.

The charges, under Section 409 of the Penal Code, carry a maximum 20 years' jail, whipping and a fine.