KUALA LUMPUR: Former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng failed in his bid to have his four corruption charges related to the undersea tunnel project dismissed.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin told Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi that the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) had rejected Lim's representation.
"Today is set for mention. For the court's information, in this case, the defence had sent a representation letter to withdraw the charges against the accused.
"I wish to inform the court that the AGC has studied the representation letter, and it was rejected.
"The representation was sent on June 28 and the AGC rejected in early July," said Wan Shaharuddin.
He said Lim's attendance in court today was exempted.
Defence lawyer Haijan Omar appeared for Lim.
Azura adjourned the trial to Aug 8.
Representation is usually carried out to apply for a retraction or to lower or lessen the charge brought against an accused.
Lim submitted the representation to the AGC to seek dismissal of the charges on grounds that there was contradicting testimony by star witness
Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli to the court and in his statement to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
The testimony was related to a RM19 million cheating case involving businessman G. Gnanaraja on the same project.
Lim faces four charges of using his position as the then chief minister to solicit gratification to help Zarul's company secure the project.
He was accused of receiving RM3.3 million for himself to assist the company owned by Zarul to carry out the tunnel project and main road works worth RM6,341,383,702 between January 2011 and August 2017.
He was also charged with soliciting 10 per cent of the company's profits from Zarul for the same project.
Lim pleaded not guilty to two counts of dishonest misappropriation of property by disposing of two plots of land belonging to the Penang government in Bandar Tanjong Pinang worth RM208 million to Ewein Zenith Sdn Bhd and Zenith Urban Development Sdn Bhd — companies linked to the tunnel project — on Feb 17, 2015 and March 22, 2017.