Guan Eng trial: Witness says bought RM43k watch as birthday gift

Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZC) senior executive director Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli today testified that he bought former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng a watch worth RM43,000 as a 55th birthday present in December 2015.

The 23rd prosecution witness said he brought the Maurice Lacroix watch along with RM100,000 cash in an envelope to Lim's office on the 28th floor of the Komtar building in George Town, Penang.

"I handed over the RM100,000 and watch in its black box, after which Lim returned the white envelope to me.

"Only the Maurice Lacroix watch was received by Lim. He appeared happy to receive the watch," Zarul testified before the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.

"After that, I left from his office. I didn't see Lim wearing the watch I gave.

"I didn't feel anything when Lim rejected the gift of RM100,000 cash," he said.

Zarul said he bought the Swiss luxury brand timepiece from Rajan, a freelance seller who previously sold him other watches.

"Lim never asked for the watch for his birthday. I gave it to him.

"The reason I gave the watch was to ensure my project with the Penang government can be carried out smoothly," he said in reference to the RM6.3 billion Penang undersea tunnel project.

This was the second time Zarul presented Lim with a birthday gift as he said the then DAP secretary-general accepted RM100,000 cash as a present for his 54th birthday in December 2014.

Zarul said he found out Lim's birthday was on Dec 8, based on an Internet search.

He said the first time he gave Lim more than RM100,000 in cash was in January 2016, and subsequently, in April or May the same year, totalling RM1 million.

The cash payments of RM500,000 each in 2016 were placed in a bag and handed to Lim during private meetings at his Komtar office, each time unrecorded in the guestbook, said Zarul.

Four corruption charges

The ongoing trial concerns four graft charges against Lim, who is also the Bagan MP and Air Putih assemblyperson.

One charge, framed under Section 16(A)(a) and Section 23 of the MACC Act, accuses him of using his position as then Penang chief minister for the gratification of RM3.3 million as inducement for helping a company belonging to Zarul to secure the island state's RM6.3 billion undersea tunnel project.

The offence was allegedly perpetrated at the Penang Chief Minister's Office, 28th floor at Komtar in George Town, Penang, between January 2011 and August 2017.

Under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act, the offence is punishable with imprisonment of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the gratification, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

The second charge, also under Section 16(A)(a), states that Lim, in his capacity as the then Penang chief minister, solicited from Zarul bribes amounting to 10 percent of the profits to be earned by the company as gratification for helping the company secure the project.

The offence was allegedly committed near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur, between 12.30am and 2am in March 2011.

The charge, framed under Section 16 of the MACC Act, provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years and a fine not less than five times the value of the gratification, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

Lim also faces two counts of causing two plots of land, worth RM208.8 million belonging to the Penang government, to be disposed to two companies allegedly linked to the undersea tunnel project.

The two charges, framed under Section 403 of the Penal Code, carry imprisonment of up to five years, whipping, and a fine.

The offences were allegedly committed at the Penang Land and Mines Office, Level 21, Komtar, between Feb 17, 2015, and March 22, 2017.

Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin led the prosecution, while Lim’s defence team was headed by lawyer Gobind Singh Deo.

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