KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told the High Court today that two bungalow units in Country Heights, Kajang, were bought at a discount of RM5.9 million because of the owner, housing developer tycoon Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew, needed money urgently.
Ahmad Zahid, 69, said that Lee, who is the founder and chairman of Country Heights Holdings Berhad, offered to sell the bungalow below the market price because he was having trouble paying his income tax.
"This offer (price) is from Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew, the owner of Country Heights. He desperately needed the money, which was why he sold it below market price.
"He was having trouble paying income tax, that's why the time given to us was very short and the discount price was given to Yayasan Akalbudi (YAB)," he said.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Member of Parliament for Bagan Datuk, did not agree with Harris Ong's suggestion that the purchase of the bungalows was not on a charity basis, but to help the owner only.
According to Lee, the cheque was for the payment of sales settlement for two single-storey bungalows belonging to his company which were sold to Yayasan Al-Falah, of which Mohamad Nasaee is the chairman of the foundation's board of trustees.
Meanwhile, lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, who represented Ahmad Zahid, told the court that the prosecution and defence had agreed to visit the two bungalows on Aug 1, as acceded by Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah yesterday.
"I also invited Your Honour to Bagan Datuk to visit the Tuminah Hamidi Mosque, to give a clear picture of the condition of the mosque," said Hisyam.
Judge Sequerah later said that the condition of the mosque could be shown in court through photos or videos because the journey to Bagan Datuk would take time.
Yesterday, Judge Sequerah acceded to the defence's request to visit the bungalow for the sake of justice in the trial of the case.
On Jan 24, the court ordered Ahmad Zahid to enter his defence on 47 charges, with 12 of them involving criminal breach of trust, eight charges of corruption and 27 money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit of funds belonging to YAB.
The trial before Judge Sequerah continues on Aug 5.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Thu Jul 07 2022
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told the High Court today that two bungalow units in Country Heights, Kajang, were bought at a discount of RM5.9 million because the owner, housing developer tycoon Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew, needed money urgently. - BERNAMA
Warga Australia dipindahkan, lega pulang ke tanah air
Warga Australia yang dipindahkan dari New Caledonia yang mengalami rusuhan maut selama seminggu. memberitahu media tempatan mereka lega sebaik sahaja kembali ke tanah air pada Selasa.
Menteri ada rekod jenayah letak jawatan
Seorang Menteri Thailand, Pichit Chuenban, pada Selasa meletakkan jawatan selepas tertakluk kepada aduan undang-undang daripada senator yang boleh membawa kepada pemecatan Perdana Menteri Thailand, Srettha Thavisin atas pelantikannya.
Keranda bawa jenazah Raisi tiba di Tehran
Pegawai dan tokoh agama Iran menerima keranda Presiden Iran, Ebrahim Raisi dan beberapa individu lain di Tehran, dalam satu majlis pada Selasa.
PMX ke Jepun bermula Rabu, pertama kali sertai Persidangan Nikkei sebagai Perdana Menteri
Wisma Putra dalam kenyataan pada Selasa memaklumkan, PM Anwar menyertai persidangan tersebut atas jemputan Nikkei Inc. dan ia merupakan penyertaan pertama beliau sebagai Perdana Menteri.
Beri tumpuan kepada pelaburan dalam negeri - Dr Jomo
Kerajaan perlu memberi galakkan kepada pelaburan dalam negeri dalam usaha memacu pertumbuhan ekonomi negara.
Mat Sabu wakili Malaysia ke Iran, hadiri pengebumian Presiden Raisi
Menteri Pertanian dan Keterjaminan Makanan, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu akan ke Iran bagi mewakili Malaysia untuk menghadiri pengebumian Presiden Iran, Almarhum Ebrahim Raisi.
Tumpuan Rabu – 22 Mei 2024
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan di Astro AWANI.
Jemaah Menteri setuju laksanakan penyasaran subsidi diesel
Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkata, keputusan itu tidak melibatkan pengguna Sabah dan Sarawak kerana penduduk di sana kebanyakannya menggunakan diesel untuk urusan seharian.
Kerajaan bakal jimat RM4 bilion setahun
Jelas Perdana Menteri, dengan penyasaran subsidi diesel tersebut, jumlah penjimatan kepada kerajaan adalah dijangka sekitar 4 bilion ringgit setahun.
Satu langkah berani diambil kerajaan
Penasihat Penyelidikan Khazanah Research Institute, Prof Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram menyifatkan pelaksanaan penyasaran subsidi ke atas bahan api termasuk diesel disifatkan satu langkah berani diambil kerajaan pimpinan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.