GEORGE TOWN: The Penang High Court has set a new date for mention of the graft and abuse of power trial of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and businesswoman Phang Li Khoon.
Previously, Lim and Phang had filed a motion to declare Section 62 of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) Act as 'unconstitutional' but the judge had struck out the motion back in March.
Section 62 of the MACC Act 2009 requires the defence, in cases of this nature, to file a statement of defence.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Budiman Lufti Mohamad told the court that the Court of Appeal will hear the constitutionality of the MACC Act 2009 on Aug 7.
RSN Rayer, who was acting for Lim, then requested the High Court for a date in November pending the process at the appellate court.
He said whatever is the outcome of the Court of Appeal, an appeal will eventually be made the Federal Court.
Upon hearing that today, judge Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail fixed Nov 14 for the next mention.
DPP Ashrof Adrin Kamarul and DPP Muhamad Izzat Fauzan also prosecuted while Datuk V. Sithambaran appeared for Phang.
On June 30 last year, Lim had claimed trial to two corruption charges at the High Court here.
On the first count, he was accused of having used his position as a civil servant to obtain gratification for him and his wife, by approving an application by Magnificent Emblem Sdn Bhd to convert agricultural land to residential land, while chairing a state Planning Committee meeting on July 18, 2014.
For the second charge, he was accused of using his position to purchase a house from Phang for RM2.8 million, which was a price he knew was below the property's market value of RM4.27 million, on July 28 last year.