AG rejects Guan Eng's bid to drop graft charges

The attorney-general has rejected Lim Guan Eng’s representation for the withdrawal of a corruption case linked to the Penang undersea tunnel project.

Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin told the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court about the outcome of the accused’s letter of representation.

“We received the representation on June 28. It was rejected two days later,” the prosecutor told trial judge Azura Alwi.

Azura then set Aug 8 for continued trial.

The former Penang chief minister is on trial over four corruption charges involving the planned construction of the island state’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 Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli’s company, Consortium Zenith Construction, to implement the project worth RM6,341,383,702.

The Bagan MP 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 dishonestly 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.

Counsel Haijan Omar is representing Lim.

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