Guan Eng Seeks To Have Tunnel Corruption Charges Dropped

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Lim Guan Eng is on trial on four corruption charges. A representation was submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers in June, says a deputy public prosecutor. (Bernama pic)KUALA LUMPUR: Former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng has submitted a representation to the Attorney-General’s Chambers to have four corruption charges against him dropped. The charges involve alleged bribes over a proposed RM6 billion undersea tunnel and road project in Penang.
The representation was submitted in June on grounds that there was a contradiction in the testimony of a key prosecution witness against businessman G Gnanaraja, who is charged with fraud involving RM19 million over the same undersea tunnel project.
The challenge is to the testimony of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd director Zarul Ahmad Zulkifli, made to the court and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. Proceedings to challenge the credibility of this witness will continue on July 19 before sessions court judge Azura Alwi.
Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin confirmed the matter when contacted today.
Lim, 63, is on trial on two charges: the first alleges he sought bribes amounting to RM3.3 million and in the second charge of seeking a bribe of 10% of the profit to be earned by Zarul.
The charges allege that he used his position as chief minister of Penang to help a company owned by Zarul, be appointed to carry out the tunnel and road project.
The first offence is alleged to have taken place between January 2011 and August 2017 at the chief minister’s office, and the second offence near the Gardens Hotel at Mid Valley City here between 12.30am and 2am in March 2011.
The value of the project was said to amount to RM6,341,383,702.
Lim also faces two charges of causing two lots of land owned by the Penang government worth RM208.8 million to be disposed of to two companies linked to the undersea tunnel project in the state. The offence was allegedly carried out at the state lands and mines office in Komtar, George Town, on Feb 17, 2015 and March 22, 2017. - FMT

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