Shah alam: A finance manager at KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd revealed today in the High Court that she was directed to prepare four cheques amounting to RM800,000 as donations to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu). These donations were linked to a government project under the Jana Wibawa initiative awarded to the company.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the 19th prosecution witness, Zuriedah Deres @ Musa, 49, stated that the company's managing director, Datuk Azman Yusoff, instructed her to issue the cheques without providing further details about the project. "As I recall, on Sept 1, 2022, Datuk Azman met me at the KCJ Engineering office at Bukit Jelutong Industrial Park, Shah Alam, Selangor, and instructed me to prepare the cheques as contributions to Bersatu amounting to RM800,000," Zuriedah testified.
During the trial of former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who faces seven charges of abuse of power and money laundering, Zuriedah confirmed that she prepared four cheques dated September 1, 2022, each valued at RM200,000. She stated that the cheques, drawn from KCJ Engineering's Maybank Islamic account, were intended for Bersatu.
Zuriedah recounted that after preparing the cheques, she sought signatures from Mohd Zaid Yusoff and Zulhelmi Mairin, explaining that the RM800,000 donation to Bersatu was ordered by Azman. She handed the signed cheques to Datuk Azman on the same day, emphasizing that she did not interact with any members of Bersatu after that.
Under examination by deputy public prosecutor Wan Nur Iman Wan Mohd Afzal, Zuriedah identified Mohd Zaid and Zulhelmi as directors at KCJ Engineering, authorized to sign cheques up to RM200,000. She noted that anything above that amount required Tengku Sarah's signature, who was unavailable at the time.
Zuriedah added that since her tenure at KCJ Engineering's finance department began in late 2019, she had not prepared donation cheques to any political party other than Bersatu. She clarified that Datuk Azman typically instructed her to issue cheques, and this was the first instance of preparing a cheque for a political party.
During cross-examination, she agreed with Muhyiddin's counsel Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad that she could not deny KCJ Engineering's contributions to other political parties. She also confirmed that cash donations were made by Azman or KCJ Engineering.
Muhyiddin, 79, facing charges of soliciting RM232.5 million in bribes for Bersatu, was accused of committing the offences at the Prime Minister's Office between March 1, 2020, and August 20, 2021. These charges fall under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act 2009, which could result in a 20-year imprisonment and a fine of five times the gratification's value or RM10,000 upon conviction.
Additionally, Muhyiddin is charged with receiving RM200 million in unlawful proceeds, deposited into Bersatu's bank accounts between February 2021 and July 2022. These charges are under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, carrying a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment and a fine of five times the unlawful activities' proceeds or RM5 million.
The trial before Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin is set to resume tomorrow.