KUALA LUMPUR: A key witness in former chief minister Lim Guan Eng’s corruption trial testified at the Sessions Court today that he spoke only the truth regarding the alleged bribery in the major roads and undersea tunnel project in Penang.
Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, 66, former director of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB), stated that the corruption did occur, supported by the substantial evidence and documents presented by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) during investigations.
“I was compelled to tell the truth. If I were to follow my heart, I would wish for YB Lim Guan Eng to win in this case, as I owe him a debt of gratitude.
“However, upon reviewing the evidence and documents, I could not deny that the offence indeed took place,” said the 23rd prosecution witness.
He made this statement during re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin in the RM6.3 billion corruption case involving Lim Guan Eng.
Wan Shaharuddin: You informed the court that you were instructed to issue a press statement regarding the project, and that the contents of that statement were untrue, yet you proceeded to issue it. Is that correct?
Zarul Ahmad: I did so to protect my project, to avoid escalating tensions with the then Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng, and to safeguard his interests.
Zarul Ahmad acknowledged that in the statement, he claimed the project was obtained transparently and without any criminal wrongdoing, which he admitted was false.
Wan Shaharuddin: So you deliberately misled the people of Penang to protect Lim Guan Eng’s image despite knowing your statement was untruthful?
Zarul Ahmad: I am indebted to him and followed his instructions, as he was serving as the Finance Minister at the time.
According to the amended first charge, Lim, 64, is accused, in his capacity as the then chief minister of Penang, of abusing his position to receive a bribe of RM3.3 million to assist a company owned by Zarul Ahmad in securing the Major Roads and Undersea Tunnel Construction Project in Penang, valued at RM6,341,383,702.
The offence allegedly took place between January 2011 and August 2017 at the Chief Minister’s Office in Penang.
Under the amended second charge, Lim is accused of soliciting a 10 percent bribe out of 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 June 24.
