Lim Guan Eng, the former Chief Minister of Penang and current Bagan MP, is at the center of a corruption trial where key prosecution witness Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli has provided crucial testimony. Zarul Ahmad, the senior executive director of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB), testified that Lim Guan Eng agreed to use a middleman to receive RM2 million in bribes.
According to Zarul Ahmad, Lim Guan Eng had expressed concerns about being monitored by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and suggested using a middleman for the payments. Zarul Ahmad proposed using businessman G. Gnanaraja, who was introduced to him by former minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz as a close friend of then-Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Zarul Ahmad stated, “Seeing that this was a recommendation from my good friend Datuk Seri Nazri, there was no reason for me to doubt Gnanaraja’s position with the prime minister.”
Zarul Ahmad recounted that Lim Guan Eng was worried about being implicated in the payments and had asked him to use a middleman. He suggested Gnanaraja, noting that Gnanaraja had “immunity seeing that he is a known acquaintance of the prime minister at that time.” After obtaining Lim’s consent, Zarul Ahmad got in touch with Gnanaraja to use him as an intermediary for the payments[5).
The payments, totaling RM2 million, were made between May and August 2017. Zarul Ahmad testified that he handed over the cash to Gnanaraja during a meeting at Eastin Hotel Petaling Jaya. Code words such as ‘chocolate’ for the money and ‘big boss’ for Lim Guan Eng were used to conceal the nature of the transactions[5).
Lim Guan Eng allegedly requested the RM2 million as he was expecting a general election to be held soon. Zarul Ahmad stated, “If I had not given the money, I was worried Lim Guan Eng would disrupt my project in the future. If he never asked for 10 per cent of the future profits I would never have given him the RM2 million,” highlighting the pressure he felt to comply with Lim’s demands[5).
Lim Guan Eng is facing several charges, including using his position as Penang Chief Minister to receive RM3.3 million in bribes to help CZCSB obtain the undersea tunnel project. He is also accused of soliciting bribes amounting to 10 per cent of the profits of the company as gratification for securing the project. Additionally, Lim is charged with causing two plots of land, worth RM208.8 million, belonging to the Penang government to be disposed of to two companies linked to the state’s undersea tunnel project[5).
Sources:
- https://www.bernama.com/en/news.php?id=2342538
- https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/09/20/i-used-code-words-to-conceal-payments-witness-tells-guan-engs-trial/
- https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2024/01/1002411/lim-guan-eng-obtains-witness-statement-impeach-businessman-his
- https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2023/07/933326/prosecution-witness-confirms-firm-paid-rm2-million-businessman
- https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2022/06/24/businessman-with-ties-to-najib-chosen-as-middleman-to-facilitate-rm2m-cash-payments-to-guan-eng-in-2017-court-told/14026
