I didn't tell MACC Guan Eng sought 10pct future profit: Witness

A key prosecution witness in Lim Guan Eng’s corruption trial linked to the RM6.3 billion Penang undersea tunnel project testified he did not tell the MACC in 2018 about the accused allegedly asking for 10 percent of the future profit of the project’s value.

However, Consortium Zenith Construction director Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli reiterated in his court testimony that this was because the statement he gave MACC in March 2018 was about the agency’s then investigation against businessperson G Gnanaraja.

Zarul (above) was giving oral evidence during cross-examination by defence counsel RSN Rayer in impeachment proceedings against the crucial prosecution witness.

During today’s trial within a trial before the Kuala Lumpur High Court, Lim’s defence team is attempting to discredit the witness’ credibility.

Rayer: In this (MACC statement in 2018), there was no mention of the 10 percent?

Zarul: I was told to focus on Gnanaraja.

Rayer: No, focus on this statement (to MACC in 2018).

Zarul: Yes. Not in this statement.

Zarul, however, stressed that he stands by his present testimony given in the Kuala Lumpur lower court back in December 2021, where he testified that he was “shocked” when Lim allegedly asked for 10 percent future profit from the project.

Gnanaraja was previously charged at the Shah Alam Sessions Court on April 3, 2019, for allegedly deceiving Zarul on three occasions in 2017, into believing he (Gnanaraja) had political connections that could stop the MACC investigation against Zarul.

However, on Dec 23, 2020, Gnanaraja pleaded guilty to an alternative charge under Section 218(1)(A) of the Companies Act 2016, and the Shah Alam lower court sentenced him to a fine of RM230,000.

Gnanaraja and Zarul are both prosecution witnesses in the ongoing Kuala Lumpur lower court trial of Lim’s graft case.

Four charges

Proceedings before judge Azura Alwi resumes on July 19.

Lim is on trial over four corruption charges involving the planned construction of Penang’s undersea tunnel and paired roads project connecting the island to the mainland.

Lim is accused of abusing his power as then-Penang chief minister for the first charge to obtain RM3.3 million in monetary gratification as an inducement to appoint Zarul’s company to implement the project worth RM6,341,383,702.

He allegedly committed the offence between January 2011 and August 2017 at the Penang Chief Minister’s Office.

On the second charge, Lim allegedly asked Zarul for 10 percent of profits as a reward for helping his company secure the project.

Lim is purported to have committed the offence at The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, in Kuala Lumpur, between 12.30am and 2am in March 2011.

He also faces two counts of dishonest disposing of two plots of land belonging to the Penang government in Bandar Tanjong Pinang worth RM208 million to the developer of the tunnel project, which allegedly took place at the State Land and Mines Office in Komtar on Feb 17, 2015, and March 22, 2017.

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