Kuala lumpur: The key witness in the Penang undersea tunnel corruption trial involving Lim Guan Eng told the Sessions Court here today that he personally handed over two black bags containing RM2 million to the former Penang Chief Minister. Businessman Datuk Seri G. Gnanaraja, 44, testified that he received the two bags, each containing RM1 million, from Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, then Director of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB), at the Eastin Hotel in Petaling Jaya on Aug 18, 2017, for delivery to Lim.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Gnanaraja stated that after receiving the bags, he kept them in his study. On Aug 20, 2017, he took one bag with him and handed it over to Lim when he dropped him off at Publika, Hartamas. Gnanaraja described Lim’s gesture of patting Zarul Ahmad on the shoulder as a sign of gratitude for receiving the bag containing RM1 million.
The 37th prosecution witness made these statements during the trial of a corruption case involving Lim in the construction of major roads and an undersea tunnel project in Penang. Gnanaraja further narrated how he took the second bag containing RM1 million from his study and placed it in his Bentley car on Aug 28, 2017, following a text message from Zarul Ahmad. He handed it to Lim at his house around 2 to 3 am on Aug 29, 2017.
Gnanaraja recalled a confidential discussion with Lim earlier that day for about an hour at his residence, focusing on the finances of the tunnel project, including funding, receipts, and disbursements. He reported that the estimated value of the tunnel project was RM6.3 billion, and Lim mentioned that 10 per cent of the project’s profit was designated for him, with Zarul Ahmad’s agreement.
According to the amended first charge, Lim, 64, is accused, in his capacity as the then chief minister of Penang, of abusing his position to receive a bribe of RM3.3 million to assist a company owned by Zarul Ahmad in securing the Major Roads and Undersea Tunnel Construction Project in Penang, valued at RM6,341,383,702. The alleged offence took place between January 2011 and August 2017 at the Chief Minister’s Office in Penang.
For the amended second charge, Lim is accused of soliciting a 10 per cent bribe out of the project’s future profits from Zarul Ahmad for assisting his company in securing the same project. This offence allegedly occurred near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, between 12.30 am and 2.00 am in March 2011.
In addition, Lim faces two charges of disposing of a couple of state-owned lots of land in Penang, valued at RM208.8 million, to a developer linked to the undersea tunnel project. These offences were purportedly committed at the Penang Land and Mines Office, Komtar, on Feb 17, 2015, and March 22, 2017. The trial before Judge Azura Alwi is set to continue tomorrow.