It was used to channel bribes related to tunnel project, says key witness
KUALA LUMPUR: A key prosecution witness told the court that he was directed by former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng to open a bank account specifically to facilitate payments related to the Penang undersea tunnel project.
Businessman G. Gnanaraja said he set up Bumi Muhibah Capital Holding Sdn Bhd to channel alleged bribes to Lim in August 2017.
The company maintained a CIMB bank account, over which Gnanaraja had exclusive control.
“Lim Guan Eng instructed me to set up and open this bank account.
“All requests regarding the company’s setup and account were made while I was with Lim in a car en route to Publika on Aug 20, 2017,” he told the Sessions Court yesterday.
Gnanaraja’s testimony further detailed how he met businessman Datuk Zarul Ahmad Zulkifli, a former director of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB), in May 2017 to discuss setting up the company to facilitate payments to Lim.
“Datuk Zarul and I communicated about having me as the intermediary for bribe payments from him to Lim.
“He chose me as I was not affiliated with any opposition parties at the time,” he said.
Gnanaraja, who is the 37th witness, and was charged in April 2019 at the Shah Alam Court with cheating Zarul Ahmad of RM19mil, recounted the events of Aug 18, 2017 at the Eastin Hotel in Petaling Jaya.
He said he received two bags purportedly containing RM2mil from Zarul Ahmad.
“Datuk Zarul wanted to give me RM2mil in cash meant for Lim Guan Eng.”
When he arrived at the hotel, he said Zarul Ahmad handed him two dark bags, stating ‘1M’ as he placed them in Gnanaraja’s car.
Gnanaraja clarified that “1M” referred to RM1mil per bag.
Upon returning to his residence, Gnanaraja said he meticulously checked the contents of the bags.
“I opened both bags in my study room to verify the cash inside, as informed by Datuk Zarul.
“My study room is always locked, and only I have the key.
“Inside the bags, I found numerous bundles of RM100 notes, confirming what I had been told,” he said.
He noted that the bags remained untouched in his study room until Aug 20, 2017, when Zarul Ahmad called, requesting the delivery of one bag containing RM1mil to Lim in Kuala Lumpur.
Gnanaraja detailed a subsequent event on Aug 20, 2017, where he allegedly transferred one of the bags containing RM1mil to Lim.
“I placed the bag in the back seat of Datuk Zarul’s car and travelled with him to meet Lim Guan Eng near Hotel Wenworth.
“This was during a meeting in Kuala Lumpur, where Lim Guan Eng joined us for a discussion on confidential financial arrangements.
“He was in his official chief minister attire, and I wore a batik shirt.
“He greeted us warmly and mentioned attending an official event at Publika but wanted to discuss confidential financial matters first,” he said.
Gnanaraja added that it was his first time hearing of an individual named Datuk Ewein (the late Ewein Bhd founder and executive chairman Datuk Ewe Swee Kheng), whom Lim intended to introduce him to later.
Ewe, a property developer, was due to be called as the 15th prosecution witness in this trial, but was found dead after a fall from a condominium in George Town, Penang, on Oct 5, 2021.
He was involved in the trial as his company gave Zarul Ahmad money for a land-swap deal for a plot of state land, known as Lot 702, between 2013 and 2016 for the undersea tunnel project.
Lim, 64, 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 RM6.34bil.
Lim allegedly committed the offence at the Penang Chief Minister’s Office, Level 28, Komtar, George Town, between January 2011 and August 2017.
In the second amended charge, Lim is accused of soliciting a 10% profit from the company as gratification to secure the project.
The offence was allegedly committed near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City here, in March 2011.
Lim, who is Bagan MP, faces two further 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 project.
The trial before Judge Azura Alwi continues on Aug 19.
