Umno president Zahid to be charged on Friday

Kuala Lumpur

UMNO PRESIDENT Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is expected to be charged by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) on Friday.

He has received a notice to appear at the graft busters headquarters in Putrajaya at 3pm on Thursday and will be charged the next day, the New Straits Times reported.

Umno Supreme Council member Lokman Noor Adam called on the people, particularly Umno leaders and party members, to attend the gathering #Solidariti4PresidenUMNO at the MACC headquarters at 9pm Thursday and 8am on Friday at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.

"Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, president of Umno, has been given a notice of surrender at 1.45pm today (Wednesday).

"He needs to be present at MACC headquarters at 3pm tomorrow (Thursday) and is expected to be charged on Friday.

" Let us come to the defence of our president who is now a target of the cruel Mahathir-DAP regime. Do not let our president stand alone," he said on social media.

The former deputy prime minister was summoned by the anti-graft agency for a straight three days last week in connection with alleged misappropriation of Yayasan Akal Budi funds.

According to previous reports, Mr Zahid had been asked to explain claims that RM800,000 (S$264,630) in Yayasan Akal Budi funds were used to pay credit card bills belonging to him and his wife.

Mr Zahid is the chairman of the foundation, which was set up in 1977 with the aim of eradicating poverty. He has denied any wrongdoing, saying his officer had mistakenly used the foundation's money to pay the credit card bills.