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KUALA LUMPUR: All eyes are turning to Umno's president, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who has arrived at the Kuala Lumpur courthouse where cell phones are being trained on him, as well as incessant flashes.
Zahid, dressed in an orange batik shirt, arrived around 8:15 am and was escorted by police and officers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
The former deputy prime minister, who had a solitary figure, greeted the journalists who had camped at 7am.
A hectic atmosphere prevailed in the judicial complex as hundreds of Umno supporters rallied outside to show their solidarity with the party's president.
The group armed with signs and banners also chanted "hidup Zahid" and "hidup Umno" when Zahid's entourage entered the compound.
Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, a member of Umno's Supreme Council, said that Zahid's fate as party chairman would be decided later at a meeting.
"For the moment, let's support him so that he faces the charges," he said when he was approached in the court lobby.
It has been reported that Bagan Datuk MP should be charged with more than 40 charges related to money laundering, abuse of power and abuse of criminal trust.
Hundreds of Umno supporters rallied outside the compound to show their solidarity with Zahid.
He was arrested yesterday by the anti-graft corps after making his statement around 15:15.
The arrest, the commission said, concerned funds belonging to a foundation.
"Ahmad Zahid will subsequently be charged with a number of charges under the 2009 MACC Act and the 2001 Anti-Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Anti-Money Laundering Act. (AMLATFAPUAA), "said the MACC.
Zahid had previously been summoned five times by the MACC to facilitate his investigation into the alleged embezzlement involving Yayasan Akal Budi, amounting to RM 800,000.
On July 2, Zahid was summoned for the first time to make a statement in which the organization's funds were used to pay his credit card bills and those of his wife.
A day later, he was again summoned to the MACC, where he was interrogated for seven hours. Zahid had told reporters that there was no fault on his part regarding the funds.
He stated that the incident was due to an error made by one of his officers, who had used the organization's funds to make the payment instead of using a personal check .
Zahid said that he had already explained the case to the MACC and that the refund had been made in full to the association in 2016.
However, Zahid was summoned to the MACC for three consecutive days, from 10 to 12 October, to make his statement on the same subject. © New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
