Friday, March 19, 2010

Witness Admits Payment for Calling Visas was for Politcal Fund

A witness in the corruption trial of former Immigration director-general Datuk Wahid Md Don (pic) told the Sessions Court here today that payments made for the approval of calling visas for Bangladesh workers were for a political fund.

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Businessman Datuk Zulkafli Maulud, 53, said he knew about this from another businessman, Datuk Seri Low Chang Hian, and that from what he understood by what Low had said to him, the money was for a minister.

Before stating that the money was a poltical fund, he had also mentioned that it was political donation to the same person.

Asked by Wahid's lawyer V. Sithambaram during cross-examination whether he had any links with the minister's brother-in-law known as Syed Abdullah, Zulkafli said: "Never."

During the earlier proceedings in the trial, a broker Burugabudeen Mohamed Ismail, 50, had told the court that Syed Abdullah had received money from him to expedite approval of calling visas for foreign workers in 2008 and that it was for a political fund.

Wahid, 57, is charged with receiving a bribe of RM60,000 from Low to expedite approval of 4,337 calling visas for Bangladesh workers.

He is alleged to have committed the offence at his house in Jalan Lembah Ledang, off Jalan Duta here at 10.15 pm on July 10 2008.

When the proceedings resumed today, Zulkafli, who is involved in supplying foreign workers, shipping and trading in firearms, had told the court that he had been remanded for five days together with Low and Abdul Jabbar Abdullah, a broker.

The trial before judge Rosbiahanim Ariffin continues on March 29 and 30.

courtesy of Malaysian Digest

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