Exco questioned for 13 hours

In the hot seat: Rayer (right) and Lim walking out from the Penang MACC building as journalists field questions to the duo in George Town.

GEORGE TOWN: It was a gruelling 13-hour session for state exco member Lim Hock Seng when he was questioned at the state Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters.

He went in at 9am yesterday and left in his official car at 9.50pm.

His driver stopped the car outside the building and Lim alighted from the car to greet press members who had waited there since morning.

Lim smiled and said “sorry for keeping you waiting for so long”, adding that he was barred from giving press statements as he was called as a witness.

Lim’s lawyer R.S.N. Rayer confirmed that Lim was being questioned as a witness.

“He is not being questioned as a suspect. We don’t expect an arrest,” said Rayer when met by the press earlier in the evening.

He said MACC investigators provided Lim with lunch and dinner as they went through many facts together on the Penang Undersea Tunnel project.

“They assured me that Lim was helping as a witness.”

It is learnt that the interrogators are from MACC’s Putrajaya force.

Earlier, MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner (Operations) Datuk Seri Azam Baki confirmed that Lim, who is the state Public Works Committee chairman, and Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy were summoned to assist in investigations of possible corruption in the tunnel project.

Dr Ramasamy confirmed that he will go to the MACC building today.

Since January, MACC launched a deep probe on the project, raiding at least 12 locations in Kuala Lumpur and Penang comprising government agencies and the offices of engineering, construction and property development firms.

It also recorded statements from 12 witnesses and remanded four senior management members of companies to assist in investigations.