Guan Eng trial adjourned as key witness 'traumatised'

The corruption trial involving former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng, which resumed today, was adjourned to Aug 27 and 28 after a key prosecution witness told the court of his trauma and need to secure protection for himself before continuing his testimony.

G Gnanaraja, who is the prosecution’s 37th witness, was attacked at his house on Aug 6, where he was reportedly threatened and had his left wrist slashed.

“I am so sorry (to the court)… I am not saying that I would not testify, I want to cooperate with the court, but I want to ask the police or any parties for help for my safety, because of what I have gone through.

“(I was slashed and received) stitches on my hand. I am in a traumatic situation.

“I am not okay to testify because I feel my safety is threatened, (as) anything can happen to me,” he said.

Sessions court judge Azura Alwi then said that the court could only give protection to the witness when he stepped into the court complex.

“This is an MACC case, and I believe they would have the power to do something to protect their witness.

“I cannot give instructions, (so) such an application (for protection) should be made to the police or MACC,” she said.

Earlier, Gnanaraja took the stand to continue his testimony, where he told lead prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin that he was “not okay” today.

He told the court of the attacks he faced at his house, explaining his condition of being “not okay” to testify, when Lim’s lawyers Ramkarpal Singh and RSN Rayer stood up and objected to his testimony.

Expunging testimony

“What is the relevance of this to this case? Is he asking for witness protection? Is that why this evidence is relevant?

“We don’t want to know how he feels and all that; we all have problems in our lives. We don’t need to know his problem.

“If he is not okay, then he should take time. My learned friend (prosecutor) is trying to adduce evidence, which is prejudicial to our client, through the back door; let’s be frank about it,” Ramkarpal said.

Rayer applied for the court to expunge the earlier bits of Gnanaraja’s testimony.

“Yes, confirm, the testimony is expunged except for the part where he said he is traumatised and not okay to testify,” said the judge to Rayer’s verbal application.

After a brief adjournment, deputy public prosecutor Mahadi Abdul Jumaat informed the court that Gnanaraja is not prepared to testify and that they will call their last witness to the stand at the next proceeding.

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 the then-Penang chief minister for the first charge to obtain RM3.3 million in monetary gratification as an inducement to appoint Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd to implement the project worth RM6,341,383,702.

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

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 tunnel project’s developer.

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