BUTTERWORTH: Former finance minister Lim Guan Eng was charged in the Sessions Court today with two counts of causing two plots of land belonging to the Penang government worth RM208.8 million to be disposed of to developers.
Lim, 60, who is also the former chief minister of Penang, pleaded not guilty after both charges were read out before Judge Ahmad Azhari Abdul Hamid.
On the first count, Lim was charged with causing Penang Land Registrar to dispose of property belonging to the state government, namely, Lot Tanah No. H. S. (D) 18801, No. PT Lot 702 Seksyen 1, Bandar Tanjong Pinang, Daerah Timor Laut, Penang, worth RM135,086,094 to Ewein Zenith Sdn Bhd.
The Bagan MP was also accused of causing the Penang Land Registrar to dispose of Lot Tanah No. H. S. (D) 19318, No. PT Lot 10012 Seksyen 1, Bandar Tanjong Pinang, Daerah Timor Laut, worth RM73,668,986 to Zenith Urban Development Sdn Bhd.
Lim was charged with committing both offences at the Penang Land and Mines Office, Level 21, KOMTAR here, on Feb 17, 2015 and March 22, 2017.
The charges, under Section 403 of the Penal Code, provide for imprisonment of up to five years and whipping, and a fine, upon conviction.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Deputy Public Prosecutors Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin and Francine Cheryl Rajendram appeared for the prosecution, while Lim was represented by lawyers Gobind Singh Deo, Ramkarpal Singh, RSN Rayer and A. Sivanesan.
Today’s charges against Lim were the last in connection with the Penang undersea tunnel project.
On Aug 7, Lim had claimed trial in the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur to one charge of soliciting a 10% cut in profits from the undersea tunnel project from Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd director Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli.
He was charged with committing the offence nearby The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City here in 2011.
On Aug 10, Lim pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here to using his position as the then chief minister of Penang to receive gratification of more than RM3.3 million to help Zarul Ahmad’s company to secure the RM6.3 billion undersea tunnel project.
He was alleged to have committed the offence at the office of the Penang Chief Minister, Level 28, KOMTAR, Georgetown here between January 2011 and August 2017.
He was charged again in the same court on Aug 11, in his capacity as the chief minister of Penang and chairman of the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) Procurement Board then, with using his position for gratification, involving RM372,009 for his wife, Betty Chew Gek Cheng, through a company, Excel Property Management & Consultancy Sdn Bhd. — Bernama
