Prosecution seeks to amend 2 of Guan Eng’s corruption charges

(FMT) – The prosecution in Lim Guan Eng’s corruption case over the Penang undersea tunnel and roads project is seeking to amend two of the four charges the former chief minister is facing.

Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin told the Sessions Court here today that they will tender the amendments during the next mention date on Oct 28, when Lim is present in court.

Lim was exempted from attending today’s proceedings as he needs to attend the Penang state assembly meeting.

Judge Azura Alwi told the prosecution she has no problem in setting the dates for the trial next year.

“But we will set the dates and read the charges on Oct 28 in the accused’s presence,” she said.

Lim’s lawyer, Gobind Singh Deo, said the defence wished to make an application but told the court they will disclose it during the next mention on Oct 28.

Shaharuddin later told reporters that amendments will be made to the charges under Sections 16(a)(A) and 23, made under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act.

Lim is accused of using his position as then chief minister to ask Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd senior director Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli for a 10% cut of the profits which would have been made from the tunnel and roads project, and seeking RM3.3 million kickbacks to appoint Zarul’s company for the project.

In the Butterworth Sessions Court last month, he was slapped with two additional counts of dishonestly misappropriating RM208.7 million worth of state land to two companies.