KUALA LUMPUR: The Sessions Court hearing former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng’s corruption trial over the Penang undersea tunnel project was told that earlier Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission investigation records indicated there was insufficient evidence against Lim before further investigations were carried out in 2020.
However, he maintained that after taking over the investigation, further statements were recorded and additional investigative steps were carried out, which he said formed part of the continued probe.
During cross-examination, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission investigating officer Zulhilmi Ramli told the court he initially joined a task force in early 2020 to review earlier statements and documents linked to the project, following a complaint lodged in 2018.
He said based on the materials he reviewed at the time, existing statements and documents in the investigation papers were insufficient and some required further clarification.
Defence counsel Haijan Omar suggested that as of June 2020 there was no sufficient evidence against Lim. Zulhilmi agreed.
Zulhilmi also agreed that he only took over as investigating officer in June 2020 and that several earlier investigating officers had handled different investigation papers relating to the project before him.
He also agreed that internal minutes or memos in the investigation papers contained references indicating there was “no case” against Lim at the time and that investigations had earlier been halted pending further developments.
Zulhilmi disagreed with Haijan’s suggestion that the investigation was solely focused on Lim, saying the probe was not only on Lim.
When asked, Zulhilmi said he had seen earlier investigation papers involving statements from several witnesses and that further clarification was later sought from some of them.
He said multiple investigation papers were opened into the Penang undersea tunnel and the three main roads project over time, involving different commission officers before he was appointed as the investigating officer.
The trial before Sessions Court Judge Azura Alwi continues on June 4 and 5.
Lim, 65, is charged with using his position to obtain RM3.3mil in gratification linked to the project, allegedly committed at the Penang Chief Minister’s Office in Komtar between January 2011 and August 2017.
He also faces a second charge of using his position to obtain a 10% profit from the project as gratification, allegedly committed near a hotel in Mid Valley City in March 2011, as well as two charges involving the disposal of Penang government land valued at RM208.8mil to companies linked to the project.
