KUALA LUMPUR: The previous government practised selective prosecution and victimised many politicians from the opposition bloc, including former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng, says Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
"There are many people who have done what Lim Guan Eng has done, but they were not selected (for prosecution).
"They selected Lim for a special purpose, to get rid of him," he said on the sidelines after his opening address at the Conference of the Electric Power Supply Industry (CEPSI 2018) on Tuesday (Sept 18).
Dr Mahathir made this remark when asked about the criticism levelled against Attorney-General Tommy Thomas over the Penang High Court’s decision to acquit Lim, who is presently the Finance Minister, of corruption charges in connection with the purchase of a bungalow at below market value.
Dr Mahathir said Lim's case was not the same as former Selangor Mentri Besar Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo, who was jailed one year for corruption.
Mohamad Khir was convicted by the Shah Alam High Court on Dec 23, 2011 of corruptly using his position as Selangor Mentri Besar and Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) chairperson to obtain land and property below market price in 2007.
It was reported that several leaders had questioned Thomas' role in Lim’s acquittal.
However, on Sept 4, Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Mohamad Hanafiah Zakaria cleared the air and said that the Attorney-General had no hand in the decision to withdraw the corruption charges against Lim and businesswoman Phang Li Koon, leading to the duo's acquittal on Sept 3.
Mohamad Hanafiah said Thomas had recused himself from all deliberations in relation to the case.
Mohamad Hanafiah, who is the head of the appellate and trial division at the Attorney General's Chambers, said he made his decision based on the representations from Lim and Phang, and added that the withdrawal was due to the evidence in the case having been substantially weakened.
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