KUALA LUMPUR: A businessman began financing Consortium Zenith Beijing Urban Construction Group Sdn Bhd (CZBUCG) as early as 2013, two years before the land was officially transferred to the company, allegedly due to assurances given by former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng, the Sessions Court heard.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Headquarters Branch Investigation Division senior officer, Zulhilmi Ramli, 33, testified that Lim gave the assurance to the late businessman Datuk Ewe Swee Kheng that his company, Ewein Zenith Sdn Bhd (EZSB), would receive Lot 702 in Bandar Tanjung Pinang, Penang, for development.
“Based on the preliminary agreement signed by the state government and CZBUCG chairman Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli on Oct 6, 2013, CZBUCG had entered into a cooperation with EZSB to develop the land.
“The investigation shows that Ewe had been financing CZBUCG since 2013, while the land was only transferred to CZBUCG in 2015,” he said while reading his witness statement in Lim’s graft trial, Bernama reported.
Zulhilmi, who is the investigating officer for the case involving charges related to the construction of major roads and an undersea tunnel in Penang, said the transaction was clearly illogical, adding that Ewe’s financial support, amounting to RM26.6mil in payments and RM53.2mil in bank loans, reflected his confidence in Lim’s promise.
“In a recorded conversation dated Aug 14, 2021, Ewe provided a detailed disclosure regarding his meeting with Lim and the arrangement made with the politician to secure the transfer of Lot 702 to him.
“I find Ewe’s testimony is corroborated by Zarul Ahmad’s evidence regarding the existence of an understanding with Lim, which ultimately resulted in the land title for Lot 702 being transferred to Ewe’s company.”
“This payment constituted a significant risk for Ewe, given that the title for Lot 702 had not yet been transferred to CZBUCG at that time. This clearly demonstrates that Ewe was willing to take this risk because he had received assurances from Lim.
“This substantially strengthens the credibility of Ewe’s testimony that the sum involved was not insignificant, and that the late businessman would not have been prepared to advance such substantial funds to CZBUCG without guarantees from the accused.”
The late Ewe was found dead at the base of a condominium in Penang in Oct 2021.
According to the amended first charge, Lim, 64, is accused, in his capacity as the then chief minister of Penang, of abusing his position to receive a bribe of RM3.3mil to assist a firm owned by Zarul Ahmad in securing the Major Roads and Undersea Tunnel Construction Project in Penang, valued at RM6,341,383,702.
The offence allegedly took place between January 2011 and August 2017.
Under the amended second charge, Lim is accused of soliciting a 10% bribe out of the project’s future profits from Zarul Ahmad for assisting his company in securing the same project.
The solicitation allegedly took place in March 2011. Additionally, Lim is facing two charges of disposing of a couple of state-owned lots of land in Penang, valued at RM208.8mil, to a developer linked to the undersea tunnel project.
These offences were committed on Feb 17, 2015, and March 22, 2017. The trial resumes today.
