March 1 Hearing To Secure Whatsapp Chat In Guan Eng S Graft Trial

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Lim Guan Eng Lim is accused of seeking kickbacks and of misappropriating state land in connection with the Penang undersea tunnel project. (Bernama pic)KUALA LUMPUR: The sessions court here has fixed March 1 and 17 to hear former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng’s bid to obtain Whatsapp conversations between two main witnesses in his undersea tunnel corruption trial.
Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo told the court the defence is trying to obtain the notes of proceedings in a cheating case in the Shah Alam sessions court involving potential witness G Gnanaraja.
Gnanaraja was charged in 2019 with cheating businessman Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli of RM19 million.
Zarul is currently on the witness stand, while Gnanaraja is also listed as a prosecution witness in Lim’s trial.
“We contacted the Shah Alam (sessions) court this morning and they told us that (the request) is being processed,” said Gobind.
He said that during Gnanaraja’s trial, the court had heard that a sum of RM2 million was paid to a “third party”, and not to Lim.
“The Whatsapp (conversation) is important to show the prosecution suppressed this evidence from us,” he said.
Gobind requested a two-week adjournment to allow the defence to secure the notes so the discovery application can be properly addressed.
Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin said the prosecution had no objection to the postponement.
Lim is accused of using his position as the then Penang chief minister to ask Zarul for a 10% cut of the profits from the roads-and-tunnel project.
The former finance minister is also accused of seeking RM3.3 million in kickbacks to appoint Zarul’s company to undertake the project.
He also faces two counts of dishonestly misappropriating RM208.7 million worth of state land given to two companies.
The hearing before Justice Azura Alwi continues on March 1. - FMT

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