KUALA LUMPUR: A luxury Swiss watch was given to Lim Guan Eng for his birthday in December 2015, the Sessions Court heard on Friday (June 24).
Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd executive director Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, who continued his testimony in the former Penang chief minister's corruption trial related to the Penang undersea tunnel project, said he remembered that Lim's birthday was on Dec 8, which he found out from the Internet.
He said in December 2015, he prepared an envelope filled with RM100,000 cash and a Maurice Lacroix watch to be given to Lim.
"He never asked for the watch but I gave it to ensure the project would go smoothly with the Penang state government," he said when reading out his witness statement in court.
Zarul Ahmad said he had made an appointment with Lim's office before meeting him at the latter's office in Komtar.
"When I arrived, he asked me about the project and I told him it was at the stage of conducting a feasibility study.
"Then I told him that I had a gift for his birthday. It was RM100,000 cash in an envelope and a Maurice Lacroix watch worth RM43,000 in a black box.
"I gave him the envelope and the box, but he returned the envelope to me and only accepted the watch.
"He seemed happy after receiving the watch," he said, adding that he then left the office.
In September 2021, a watch broker testified that Zarul Ahmad purchased a Swiss luxury watch for RM40,000 several years ago. The court was told that Zarul Ahmad purchased the watch from the broker in 2015 or 2016.
In his testimony, Zarul Ahmad said he had given the money to Lim as part of the 10% cut from the profit of the project that would be awarded to his company.
He also claimed that he gave RM100,000 in cash in an envelope to Lim in conjunction with his birthday in December 2014,.
He said in January 2016 before the Chinese New Year celebration, he gave Lim another RM500,000 in a haversack followed by another RM500,000 in another haversack between April and May 2016.
In his testimony on Thursday (June 23), Zarul Ahmad said he had given Lim a total of RM200,000 between 2013 and 2014.
When examined by Deputy Public Prosecutor Farah Yasmin Salleh, Zarul Ahmad said he put RM100 notes in the envelope and a mixture of RM50 and RM100 notes in the haversacks.
