Friday 29 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 4): Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd senior director Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli told the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Thursday (Aug 4) that he lied to the press in 2018 after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) remanded the key witness in former Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's corruption trial involving the proposed RM6.3 billion Penang Undersea Tunnel.

Zarul, who was remanded by the MACC in 2018, said he told the press that everything involving the planned RM6.3 billion Penang Undersea Tunnel project was "done above the board" and that the project involved no corruption.

Zarul was testifying before Sessions Court Judge Azura Alwi when Lim's lawyer Gobind Singh Deo cross-examined Zarul.

According to Zarul, he lied to the press via the media statements he issued to reporters.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin is representing the prosecution in Lim's case while Zarul is a prosecution witness.

Zarul said his media statements were issued in 2018 to protect the deal he had with Lim.

According to Zarul, his admission to lying to the press is due to the MACC's investigation into the project.

He said had the MACC never conducted an investigation into the project, he would never want to implicate Lim in the matter.

Lim is facing several charges including one involving his wife Betty Chew.

On Sept 9, 2020, Lim claimed that the timing of the charges against him proved the prosecution was "politically motivated".

Lim is facing two charges under Section 403 of the Penal Code.

The charges, of dishonest misappropriation of property involving two plots of land collectively valued at RM208.75 million, were linked to the Penang undersea tunnel project.

Prior to these charges, Lim was charged three times in August 2020.

Of those three charges, two involved the undersea tunnel project, while the other was related to Chew.

Lim claimed trial at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court in August 2020 for one charge of soliciting a 10% cut of profit for the undersea tunnel project from Zarul.

Lim allegedly asked for the bribe at The Gardens Hotel & Residences in Kuala Lumpur in 2011.

Lim was also charged at the Butterworth Sessions Court in Penang with abusing his position as a public officer to assist Zarul's company in being appointed to undertake the construction of main roads and the undersea tunnel, to obtain a RM3.3 million bribe.

Lim was alleged to have committed the crime between January 2011 and August 2017 at the Komtar Tower in Penang while he was Chief Minister of the state.

He also faces another unrelated charge for abuse of power in relation to a bribe allegedly received by Chew.

Lim was charged for abusing his post as a public officer during his tenure as Penang Chief Minister and Penang Development Corp's tender committee chairman to ensure that Magnificent Emblem Sdn Bhd was given an invitation for the proposed workers' village project in Batu Kawan worth RM11.61 million.

Chew was alleged to have received RM372,009 from Excel Property Management & Consultancy Sdn Bhd in relation to the project.

Details on Thursday's cross-examination of Zarul by Gobind is reproduced verbatim below:

Gobind: So you said that Lim Guan Eng has done everything above the board in the procurement of these contracts. That is true, isn't it?

Zarul: Yes.

Gobind: No corruption, nothing?

Zarul: That was my statement, yes.

Gobind: Correct, and it is true, isn't it?

Zarul: Um…

Gobind: Right? Please answer [the question]... That's your statement. You went up before the people of Penang and you said that. No corruption, Lim Guan Eng does everything above board, no hanky-panky.

Zarul: Of course.

Gobind: And that is true, isn't it?

Zarul: True at the time.

Gobind: You said in these articles that everything was above board, no corruption, no hanky-panky. When you said it, it was true, correct?

Zarul: Yes.

Gobind: And now you change your story because the MACC investigated you, correct?

Zarul: Yes.

Thursday's Sessions Court hearing also touched on Zarul's alleged leaked witness statement to the MACC as reported by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin.

Zarul said the alleged leaked document was not the authentic statement due to the absence of Zarul's and the MACC investigating officer's signatures.

To verify the authenticity of Zarul's claims, Gobind requested the prosecution to provide the defence with a copy of Zarul's authentic statement to the MACC in order for the defence to cross-check and verify the content of the alleged leaked statement.

Wan Shaharuddin said the prosecution will respond to the defence's request on Friday (Aug 5) when the trial is scheduled to continue before Azura.

Edited ByChong Jin Hun
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