Guan Eng to face 2 new charges related to undersea tunnel project

Former finance minister Lim Guan Eng will face two new charges of dishonest misappropriation of property at the Butterworth Sessions Court this Friday.

The matter was brought up during mention of Lim’s corruption case, in which he is accused of using his position as chief minister of Penang at the time to solicit gratification in order to help a company secure the RM6.3 billion Penang undersea tunnel project.

Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharudin Wan Ladin said the prosecution served Lim the notice this morning to inform him of the charges under Section 403 of the Penal Code.

Wan Shaharudin also told judge Azura Alwi that the charges would be the last in connection with the undersea tunnel project.

Section 403 of the Penal Code states that whoever dishonestly misappropriates, or converts to his own use, or causes any other person to dispose of, any property, shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than six months and not more than five years and a whipping. The person will also be liable to a fine.

Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, representing Lim, 60, confirmed that his client had received the notice but said they had not seen the two new charges.

On Aug 7, Lim was charged in the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur with soliciting gratification to help a company secure the Penang undersea tunnel project. On Aug 10, he was charged with using his position as the Penang chief minister to obtani gratification amounting RM3.3 million as an inducement for helping a company owned by Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli secure the project.

Zarul is a director of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd.

On Aug 11, Lim was charged again, in his capacity as chief minister of Penang and chairman of the Penang Development Corporation Procurement Board at the time, with using his position to obtain gratification involving RM372,009 for his wife through a company, Excel Property Management & Consultancy Sdn Bhd.

Lim pleaded not guilty to all three charges.