M’sia: DAP sec-gen Lim Guan Eng pleads not guilty to abusing position as then-Penang Chief Minister for RM3.3mil gratification

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — Democratic Action Party (DAP) secretary-general Lim Guan Eng on Monday (10 August) pleaded not guilty to a charge of abuse of his position as a public officer to solicit or receive RM3.3 million gratification.

Mr Lim, a former Finance Minister, is facing the said charge in relation to his alleged misuse of his position as then-Penang chief minister to accept RM3.3 million gratification in relation to the undersea tunnel project.

He is accused of facilitating the process of having Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd appointed as the company that will carry out the construction of main roads, in exchange for 10 per cent of profits to be made from the project.

Mr Lim told a press conference today that the charge is “a baseless politically-motivated accusation”.

He claimed that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) “has not shown where the RM3.3 million is, as there was no such cash in my possession or in my bank account”.

Mr Lim also said that the MACC did not probe him about money in his accounts or any cash in his possession.

Last Friday, Mr Lim was charged in the Special Corruption Court here under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act.

The provision relates to the offence of bribery in relation to the act of soliciting or receiving gratification, in exchange for doing or promising to do something with regards to “any matter or transaction”.

Mr Lim, who is currently the Member of Parliament for Bagan, had been called in for questioning by MACC several times in relation to the RM6.3 billion project.

MACC chief Azam Baki last month said that the investigation was centred on possible money laundering, Free Malaysia Today reported.

The underwater tunnel project was made a part of the Penang Transport Master Plan in the Penang state government’s bid to tackle traffic congestion.

The case has been transferred from the Sessions Court in Penang to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.

Bernama reported that the court has allowed Mr Lim the same bail amount of RM1 million for his case in the latter court.

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