COURT TOLD LIM GUAN ENG GAVE ASSURANCE ON LAND LOT TO LATE BUSINESSMAN

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 (Bernama) -- The Sessions Court here was informed today that former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng assured 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.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Headquarters Branch Investigation Division senior officer, Zulhilmi Ramli, 33, testified that following this assurance, Ewe had been financing Consortium Zenith Beijing Urban Construction Group Sdn Bhd (CZBUCG) since 2013, despite the lot’s title only being transferred to the group in 2015.

"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 the corruption trial of Lim, who faces four charges related to the construction of major roads and an undersea tunnel in Penang.

Zulhilmi, who is the investigating officer for the case, said the transaction was clearly illogical, but it occurred because Ewe had received assurances from the accused that he would obtain Lot 702.

“In a recorded conversation dated Aug 14, 2021, Ewe provided a detailed disclosure regarding his initial meeting with YB 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 YB Lim, which ultimately resulted in the land title for Lot 702 being transferred to Ewe's company," he stated.

Zulhilmi further testified that, according to a supplementary agreement signed on Feb 27, 2014, Ewe's company made payments totalling RM26.6 million to CZBUCG, with the remaining RM53.2 million financed through a bank loan.

"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 YB 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," he concluded.

The late Ewe was found deceased at the base of a condominium in Penang in October 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 RM3.3 million to assist a company 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 at the Chief Minister’s Office in Penang.

Under the amended second charge, Lim is accused of soliciting a 10 percent 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 near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, between 12.30 am and 2.00 am in March 2011.

Additionally, Lim faces two charges of disposing of a couple of state-owned lots of land in Penang, valued at RM208.8 million, to a developer linked to the undersea tunnel project.

These offences were allegedly committed at the Penang Land and Mines Office, Komtar, on Feb 17, 2015, and March 22, 2017.

The trial before Judge Azura Alwi resumes tomorrow. 

-- BERNAMA