I Must Speak The Truth Says Witness In Tunnel Graft Case

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A key witness in the corruption trial against former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng appears unfazed after sustaining injuries yesterday.
“Whatever happened in yesterday’s incident, I must speak the truth. I have to go to court.
“I don’t know who was behind this incident. I will still stand for justice,” G Gnanaraja told Malaysiakini.
This followed an incident at his home in Petaling Jaya yesterday, which police said was a robbery, but Gnanaraja claimed to be intimidation intended to silence him.
Earlier today, Gnanaraja’s lawyer RT Rajasekaran reportedly said he will formally apply for witness protection for his client pending an investigation into the incident.
“The case is still under investigation, and we are concerned that it may be linked to my client’s role as a key prosecution witness in the ongoing corruption trial.
“We trust the police will conduct their investigation professionally, and we urge the public to refrain from speculation or drawing premature conclusions until the probe is completed,”Bernama quoted him as saying at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.
The report also quoted Gnanaraja saying that he has appealed to the police to extend adequate protection to his family.
“One of them swung a machete towards my mouth and hand, while warning me not to speak out or ‘play the hero’. They also fled with several personal belongings,” he reportedly said.
He also called on the police to ensure a full and impartial investigation into the attack.
His wife G Geethajali also made a similar plea for police protection at a separate press conference.
House break-in
A group of assailants broke into the couple’s home yesterday, where they were verbally threatened and then physically attacked by the intruders.
Police have said the case is robbery and not related to the trial against Lim, though Geethajali disputed this and said it is premature to reach such a conclusion.
Lim’s lawyers from Messrs Haijan Omar & Co have accused prosecutors of insinuating that the politician was linked to the attack.
Former Penang CM Lim Guan Eng“While we admit the prosecution has a right to consider protective measures, any action must be based on true security concerns and not on speculation and unfair bias that tried to implicate our client in the incident.
“Such speculation, whether by the media or prosecution, jeopardises the integrity of the judicial process and unfairly harms our client’s reputation,” they said in a statement today.
Lim is on trial over four corruption charges involving the planned construction of Penang’s undersea tunnel and paired roads project connecting the island to the mainland.
He is accused of abusing his power as the then-Penang chief minister for the first charge to obtain RM3.3 million in monetary gratification as an inducement to appoint Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd to implement the project worth RM6,341,383,702.
On the second charge, Lim was alleged to have asked the company’s former director, Zarul Ahmad Zulkifli, for 10 percent of profits as a reward for helping his company secure the project.
He also faces two counts of dishonestly disposing of two plots of land belonging to the Penang government in Bandar Tanjong Pinang, worth RM208 million, to the tunnel project’s developer. - Mkini

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