Witness Unsure If Bribes Paid To Guan Eng Over Undersea Tunnel Project

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Former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng is accused of corruption in the Penang undersea tunnel project. (Bernama pic)KUALA LUMPUR: A former finance manager told the sessions court in Lim Guan Eng’s undersea tunnel corruption trial he did not know whether bribes were paid to the former chief minister.
Azli Adam, Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd’s senior vice-president in charge of finance and corporate services, said he only received instructions from his then superior, Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, to withdraw money from the company’s accounts.
“Only Zarul can verify (who the money was paid to),” he said when cross-examined by Lim’s lawyer, Gobind Singh Deo, today.
Gobind also questioned the witness over a series of payments the company made between 2012 and 2017.
Gobind: Do you agree with my suggestion that Zarul lied to you squarely about bribes paid to Lim Guan Eng?
Azli: I don’t know (if Zarul lied).
The lawyer then asked Azli about a purported confession by Zarul made in January 2018 concerning payments to Lim in connection with the project.
“Where did this conversation take place and who was with you besides Zarul,” asked Gobind.
Azli told the court he met Zarul at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters when he and another colleague, Ibrahim Sahari, were summoned to record their statements.
“There were only three of us. Zarul was under remand (by MACC) at that time,” he said.
Earlier today, Azli said he had previously been called to testify before the Shah Alam sessions court in a case involving businessman G Gnanaraja four years ago.
Gnanaraja, who was charged for cheating Zarul of RM19 million, later pleaded guilty to an alternative charge under the Companies Act. He is expected to testify in Lim’s trial later.
Lim is standing trial on charges of using his position as then chief minister to ask Zarul for a 10% cut of the profits from the undersea tunnel project and accepting RM3.3 million in kickbacks from the businessman.
He is also accused of two counts of dishonestly misappropriating RM208.7 million worth of state land to two companies.
The hearing before judge Azura Alwi continues tomorrow. - FMT

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