KUALA LUMPUR: In a twist to the undersea tunnel corruption trial involving Lim Guan Eng, a key witness, Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, director of Consortium Zenith Beijing Urban Construction Group (CZBUGC), revealed that he never implicated Lim in soliciting a 10 per cent cut from project profits during his 2018 interrogation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Zarul clarified that the MACC inquiry primarily focused on a cheating case involving businessman G. Gnanaraja, rather than allegations against Lim.
Gnanaraja, also known as Datuk Seri G or DSG, faced charges of deceiving Zarul and had his title revoked by the Pahang palace in 2019.
During his interrogation, Zarul recounted a meeting with Lim at Gnanaraja's residence in August 2017, where discussions on various projects took place.
Lim allegedly assured that the Penang state government would not interfere with a federal project at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base initiated by former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, purportedly to strengthen his ties with Najib.
Lim is facing four charges of using his position as the then Penang chief minister to solicit gratification to help Zarul's company secure the undersea tunnel project.
He was alleged to have sought 10 per cent of the profit to be made by the company from Zarul.
He was also accused of receiving RM3.3 million for himself and causing two plots of land belonging to the state government to be disposed of to two companies linked to the undersea tunnel project.
The trial is set to resume on July 17.