Undersea tunnel case: Witness has fever, Guan Eng's trial postponed

Today’s corruption trial against former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng was vacated to Feb 27 as key prosecution witness Zarul Ahmad Zulkifli is on medical leave (MC).

The former director of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd which was awarded the RM6.3 billion Penang Undersea Tunnel project is down with a fever.

Deputy public prosecutor Mahadi Abdul Jumaat informed the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court about the witness’ illness this morning.

“This morning, we were informed that the 23rd prosecution witness (Zarul) was not able to come to court today as he has a fever.

“We undertake to hand over the MC on the next trial date,” Mahadi told trial judge Azura Alwi.

The criminal court then adjourned today’s proceedings to next year, which has a total of 27 trial dates between February and November.

Zarul (above) was the target of Lim’s impeachment bid to discredit the witness’ testimony. The criminal court will determine the validity of Zarul’s testimony at the end of the prosecution’s case.

Previously, Zarul testified among others that he was shocked when Lim allegedly asked for 10 percent future profit from the Penang Undersea Tunnel project, and that the then chief minister received a RM100,000 bribe with a smile.

The charges

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.

He 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.

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

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

He purportedly 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 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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