KUALA LUMPUR: The Sessions Court heard that former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng assured the late businessman Datuk Ewe Swee Kheng his company would receive a land lot in Bandar Tanjung Pinang for development.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission senior officer Zulhilmi Ramli testified Ewe had been financing Consortium Zenith Beijing Urban Construction Group since 2013 despite the lot’s title only transferring in 2015.
He stated the preliminary agreement signed in October 2013 showed Consortium Zenith had entered cooperation with Ewein Zenith to develop the land.
The investigation revealed Ewe financed the company for two years before the land transfer occurred in 2015.
Zulhilmi described this transaction as clearly illogical during his witness statement at Lim’s corruption trial.
He explained the arrangement happened because Ewe received assurances from the accused about obtaining Lot 702.
The investigating officer referenced a recorded conversation from August 2021 where Ewe detailed his initial meeting with Lim.
Ewe’s testimony about securing the land transfer through arrangements with the politician was corroborated by Consortium Zenith chairman Datuk Zarul Ahmad’s evidence.
Zulhilmi further testified about a supplementary agreement signed in February 2014.
Ewe’s company paid Consortium Zenith a total of 26.6 million ringgit with the remaining 53.2 million ringgit financed through bank loans.
This payment represented significant risk for Ewe since the land title had not yet been transferred to Consortium Zenith.
The officer concluded this demonstrated Ewe’s willingness to take risks based on assurances from Lim.
This evidence substantially strengthened the credibility of Ewe’s testimony about the financial arrangements.
The late businessman was found deceased at a condominium base in Penang during October 2021.
Lim faces four charges including allegedly receiving a 3.3 million ringgit bribe to assist a company in securing the 6.3 billion ringgit Penang undersea tunnel project.
The amended first charge states the offence occurred between January 2011 and August 2017 at the Chief Minister’s Office.
Under the amended second charge Lim allegedly solicited a 10% bribe from future project profits from Zarul Ahmad.
This solicitation allegedly occurred near The Gardens Hotel in Mid Valley City during March 2011.
Lim also faces two charges of disposing state-owned land lots valued at 208.8 million ringgit to a tunnel project-linked developer.
These offences were allegedly committed at the Penang Land and Mines Office in 2015 and 2017.
The trial before Judge Azura Alwi will resume tomorrow. – Bernama
