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KUALA LUMPUR – A company director alleged that he gave two tranches of RM100,000 cash in two envelopes between 2013 and 2014 to then Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng to “fulfil his promise” after the director’s construction firm was awarded the state’s undersea tunnel project.
Consortium Zenith Beijing Urban Construction Group Sdn Bhd (CZBUCG) director Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli told the sessions court here that the payments were bribes given to Lim.
Zarul added that Lim took one of the envelopes with a smile during a meeting in August 2013 at level 28 of Komtar in Penang.
“I didn’t tell him how much there was in the envelope. He took it and I left. He just smiled when he received it.”
He added that another RM100,000 belonging to his company Vista Lestari Development Sdn Bhd was given to Lim during a meeting at Komtar in January 2014.
“YB Guan Eng did not ask me about the contents of the envelope and he did not reject it. YB looked happy receiving it.”
He said the cash given to Lim was obtained from a number of investors including successful businessmen.
The hearing before judge Azura Alwi continues tomorrow.
Last December, the sessions court here heard that Lim asked for a 10% cut of the profit to be made by CZBUCG through the construction of three main roads and an undersea tunnel in the state.
Zarul then said in May 2011, he met with Lim and demanded that the project be awarded to his company as promised and via direct negotiation but instead, Lim told him that he had to call for an open tender.
Lim is facing an amended charge of using his position as Penang chief minister at that time to receive a bribe of RM3.3 million for helping the company owned by Zarul to obtain a construction project worth RM6,341,383,702. The offence was allegedly committed at the Penang chief minister’s office, 28th floor, Komtar, George Town between January 2011 and August 2017.
For the second amended charge, he is alleged to have solicited from Zarul 10% of the profit to be gained by the company in exchange for it obtaining the project. Lim is accused of committing this offence near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, here, in March 2011.
Lim is also facing two other charges of causing two plots of land worth RM208.8 million belonging to the Penang government to be disposed of to two companies claimed to be linked to the undersea tunnel project.
He is charged with committing the offences at the Penang Land and Mines Department, 21st floor, Komtar on February 17, 2015 and March 22, 2017. – The Vibes, June 23, 2022
