Businessman in Guan Eng trial says RM19 million paid to middleman due to threats

A key witness in the trial of Lim Guan Eng said at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today that he paid a middleman named G Gnanaraja RM19 million because he was threatened with charges under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) over his involvement in the Penang undersea tunnel project, among other reasons. 

Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB) director Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, 52, said he received the threat from Gnanaraja through a WhatsApp message which also contained Zarul’s name and identification number.

During cross-examination by Lim’s counsel Gobind Singh Deo, the 23rd prosecution witness said he lodged a complaint with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over the threat when he was detained by the commission for 11 days in January 2018.

"The investigation against Gnanaraja began after I was released from MACC’s detention. I was immediately questioned by the anti-graft body about the report I made against him.

"However, I was not shown the printed WhatsApp messages from the conversation during the investigation. They (MACC) only showed me the (WhatsApp) messages directly from Gnanaraja’s phone," he said.
 
Zarul also agreed with Gobind’s suggestion that CZCSB would be impacted if the AMLA proceeding against him had continued.

This followed an argument between Gobind and deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin over the copy of Gnanaraja’s statement recorded by MACC during the investigation.

Gobind had asked the prosecution to confirm whether the WhatsApp messages between Zarul and Gnanaraja were reduced to a statement, to which Wan Shaharuddin replied that it was not the prosecution's responsibility to assist the defence in such matters.

The lawyer also said the prosecution had yet to respond to the request for the copies of Gnanaraja’s WhatsApp messages for which his team had applied last week.

Wan Shaharuddin said he was still trying to obtain them from another investigation officer and would confirm the matter tomorrow.
 
Lim, 61, is charged with using his position as the then Penang chief minister to solicit RM3.3 million in bribes as an inducement to assist Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd (CZBUCG) owner Zarul to secure the project worth RM6,341,383,702.

Lim was accused of committing the offence at the Penang Chief Minister’s Office, Level 28, Komtar, George Town, between January 2011 and August 2017.

He is also accused of soliciting a bribe of 10% of the profit from the company as gratification for securing the project in March 2011.

Lim, the former DAP secretary-general, also faces two other charges of causing two plots of land worth RM208.8 million belonging to the Penang government to be disposed of to two companies linked to the state’s undersea tunnel project.

The trial before judge Azura Alwi continues tomorrow.