“I Acted On Behalf Of Lim Guan Eng To Ensure All Matters Were Executed,” Says Key Witness

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 (Bernama) -- The key witness in the Penang undersea tunnel corruption case involving Lim Guan Eng told the Sessions Court today that he acted on behalf of the former Penang chief minister to ensure all matters related to company formation and bank account openings were executed.

Businessman Datuk Seri G Gnanaraja, 44, made the statement while being examined by Lim’s counsel, Ramkarpal Singh, during the trial concerning alleged corruption in the construction of major roads and the undersea tunnel project in Penang.

Ramkarpal: Why did you allow your company, Bumi Muhibah Capital Sdn Bhd, to be used to commit the offence?

Gnanaraja: At that time, I was serving the Chief Minister, so I had to get it done for him.

The prosecution’s 37th witness added that he only met Lim twice in 2017, when Lim requested him to set up a company and open a bank account to receive payments related to the project.

However, Gnanaraja denied Ramkarpal’s assertion that Bumi Muhibah Sdn Bhd was established for fraudulent purposes.

Ramkarpal: You stated in court that YB Lim Guan Eng asked you to set up the company and bank account. That is false, as the company was incorporated in 2016, while YB Lim only requested the bank account to be opened on Aug 20, 2017.

Gnanaraja: I did not lie.

According to the amended first charge, Lim, 64, is accused of abusing his position as the then chief minister of Penang to receive a bribe of RM3.3 million to assist Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, then director of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd, in securing the Major Roads and Undersea Tunnel Construction Project in Penang, valued at approximately RM6.34 billion.  

The offence allegedly took place between January 2011 and August 2017 at the Chief Minister’s Office in Penang.

Under the amended second charge, the Bagan MP is accused of soliciting a 10 percent kickback from the project’s future profits from Zarul Ahmad for assisting his company in securing the same project.

The solicitation allegedly took place near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, between 12.30 am and 2.00 am in March 2011.

Additionally, Lim faces two charges of disposing of a couple of state-owned lots of land in Penang, valued at RM208.8 million, to a developer linked to the undersea tunnel project.

These offences were allegedly committed at the Penang Land and Mines Office, Komtar, on Feb 17, 2015, and March 22, 2017.

The trial before Judge Azura Alwi is scheduled to resume on Oct 14. 

-- BERNAMA