FORMER finance minister Lim Guan Eng has claimed trial today at the Penang Sessions Court to one count of using his position to receive gratification for helping a company secure the RM6.3 bil Penang undersea tunnel project when he was chief minister.
Lim pleaded not guilty to the charge that was read out before judge Ahmad Azhari Abdul Hamid this morning.
He is accused of using his position as then Penang chief minister to help Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli’s construction company to secure the undersea tunnel project.
Lim is alleged to have done this between January 2011 and August 2017 at Komtar, Penang.
He is charged under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and is punishable under the same section. If found guilty, he faces a maximum 10 years’ jail or a minimum RM10,000 fine or five times the alleged amount received.
Deputy public prosecutors Ahmad Akram Gharib from MACC is prosecuting, while Lim is represented by Gobind Singh Deo, Ramkarpal Singh, RSN Rayer and V Vemal Arasan.
Ahmad Akram told the judge to apply bail that was agreed upon at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.
The judge also granted the transfer of the case to the KL court that had fixed the case for mention on Sept 9.
Last Friday, Lim was charged in Kuala Lumpur with soliciting gratification amounting to RM3.3 mil to help the company to secure the undersea tunnel project, to which he pleaded not guilty and was allowed bail of RM1 million in two sureties.
He is alleged to have asked for the bribe at The Gardens Hotel in Kuala Lumpur in 2011.
The undersea tunnel project, stretching 7.2km, will link Penang island from Persiaran Gurney to the mainland at Bagan Ajam. Work is scheduled to begin in 2023. – Aug 10, 2020
