KUALA LUMPUR: Former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng (pic) has failed in his bid to strike out the four corruption charges he is facing over the Penang undersea tunnel project.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin informed the Sessions Court that the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) had rejected Lim’s application filed on June 28.
“For the court’s information, the defence sent a representation letter to withdraw the charges against the accused. Today is set for mention.
“I want to inform the court that the AGC has reviewed the representation letter and decided to reject it,” he said here yesterday.
He noted that the prosecution had informed Lim’s counsels of the decision earlier this month.
Lim’s lead counsel, Haijan Omar, who appeared for him, confirmed the development.
Lim’s attendance in court was exempt. His legal team filed the application on the grounds that contradictions were found in the testimony of a key witness, Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd executive director Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli.
Following the contradictions, the court in January allowed the defence to conduct impeachment proceedings against Zarul Ahmad, the 23rd prosecution witness.
Judge Azura Alwi has set Aug 8 for the trial to resume, with Zarul Ahmad continuing his impeachment proceedings.
Lim, 63, is facing an amended charge of using his position as then Penang chief minister to solicit RM3.3mil in bribes as an inducement to assist Zarul Ahmad in securing the undersea tunnel project worth RM6,341,383,702.
Lim allegedly committed the offence at the Penang Chief Minister’s Office between January 2011 and August 2017.In the second amended charge, Lim is accused of soliciting a bribe of 10% of the profit from the company as gratification to secure the project. The offence was allegedly committed near The Gardens Hotel in Mid Valley City here in March 2011.
Lim, who is DAP chairman and Bagan MP, faces two more charges of causing two plots of land worth RM208.8mil, belonging to the Penang government, to be disposed of to two companies linked to the undersea tunnel project.
