Lim Guan Eng corruption case: I was not 'taught' to change my story - Witness
Julai 20, 2023
Lim Guan Eng (right) with his wife Betty Chew (left) when present at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex on April 5, 2023. - File photo/Bernama
Lim Guan Eng corruption case: I was not 'taught' to change my story - Witness
Lim Guan Eng (right) with his wife Betty Chew (left) when present at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex on April 5, 2023. - File photo/Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: A former senior vice-president of a company today told the Sessions Court here, that he was not 'taught' to change his story regarding the payment of RM2 million said to have been given to Lim Guan Eng.
Azli Adam, 58, former Senior Vice President of Finance and Corporate Services of Consortium Zenith Beijing Urban Construction Group Sdn Bhd (CZBUCG), insisted that no party had taught him to answer regarding the corruption case of the former Penang Chief Minister.
He said this when questioned by Deputy Public Prosecutor (TPR) Mohammed Mokhzani Faris Mokhtar, at the hearing of Lim's corruption case, who faces four charges involving the construction of an undersea tunnel and a main road construction project in Penang, worth RM6.3 billion.
Azli also answered no, to Mohammed Mokhzani's question whether between 2018 and 2020, any MACC officer asked him to change his story.
When cross-examined by lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, who represented Lim, the 28th prosecution witness said that when he was called by the MACC at the commission's headquarters in Putrajaya for investigation, Zarul Ahmad, who was remanded, told him that the RM2 million was paid to Lim.
"When the matter was told, I was with Zarul Ahmad in the MACC investigation room located in the basement," he said.
When Gobind suggested that Zarul Ahmad had deceived him by saying RM2 million was given to Lim, Azli said that he did not know.
Earlier, the witness told the court that he had never seen or seen the RM2 million handed over to businessman G. Gnanaraja, and the matter could only be confirmed by Zarul Ahmad.
In 2019, Gnanaraja was charged in the Shah Alam Sessions Court on three charges of corruption of RM19 million, involving fraud in closing a case related to the Penang tunnel project.
Azli, who previously testified in the Shah Alam Sessions Court, when questioned by another TPR Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin said today, he only knew that RM2 million was given to Gnanaraja when the case was tried, and did not see the money himself.
When asked by Wan Shahruddin, Azli said that he also did not see Zarul Ahmad giving RM2 million to Gnanaraja for the case.
According to the first amendment charge, Lim, 60, is charged as the Chief Minister of Penang, using his position to receive bribes amounting to RM3.3 million, by helping a company owned by Zarul Ahmad to be appointed to carry out the Project for the Construction of Main Roads and Tunnels in Penang worth RM6,341,383,702.
Lim is alleged to have committed the act between January 2011 and August 2017 at the Penang Chief Minister's Office.
For the second amended charge, Lim is alleged to have asked for a bribe of 10 percent of the profit to be obtained from Zarul as wages, to help the businessman's company be appointed for the same project.
Lim allegedly committed the act near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City here between 12.30 midnight and 2 am in March 2011.
He is also facing two charges of causing two land lots owned by the Penang State Government worth RM208.8 million to be disposed of to a developer company related to the undersea tunnel project in the state which was allegedly carried out at the Penang State Land and Mines Office, Komtar on 17 Feb 2015 and March 22, 2017.
The trial before Judge Azura Alwi continues tomorrow.
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