JUDGE Azura Alwi said the Sessions Court will examine the 108-page document containing the statement of the prosecution’s main witness in the undersea tunnel corruption case involving former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng.

“The court needs to determine (whether or not) there is a contradiction before deciding if it can be handed over to the defence,” Azura said at the case proceeding attended by lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, representing Lim and DPP Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin.

She then set January 9 for mention of the case to decide on the document and to determine whether the proceedings challenging the credibility of the main witness would continue or otherwise.

The document contains a copy of the statement of the 23rd prosecution witness – the director of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli – which was recorded by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for the case involving businessman G. Gnanaraja at the Shah Alam Court.

On November 2, Azura ordered for a copy to be submitted to determine if there was any discrepancies in Zarul’s statement recorded by the MACC.

According to the first amended charge, Lim, 60, is alleged of using his position to receive bribes amounting to RM3.3 million, by helping Zarul’s company to implement a highway and undersea tunnel project in Penang worth RM6,341,383,702.

Lim is alleged to have committed the act between January 2011 and August 2017 at the Penang Chief Minister’s Office.

For the second amended charge, Lim is alleged to have sought a bribe of 10% of the profits as an inducement to help the Zarul’s company be appointed for the same project.

Lim allegedly committed the act near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City between 12.30am and 2am, in March 2011.

He is also facing two charges of causing two lots of land owned by the Penang government worth RM208.8 million to be disposed of to companies allegedly linked to the undersea tunnel project. The offence was allegedly committed at the Penang State Land and Mines Office, Komtar on February 17, 2015, and March 22, 2017. – Bernama, November 17, 2023.