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New Straits Times
23-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Lim Guan Eng told businessman to open account for bribes, court hears
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng instructed a businessman to open a bank account to funnel bribes linked to the Penang Undersea Tunnel project, the Sessions Court heard today. G. Gnanaraja said the DAP chairman told him this during their first meeting while travelling inside Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB) director Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli's car on Aug 20, 2017. CZCSB was the company awarded the RM6.34 billion Penang undersea tunnel project. The 42-year-old businessman said this while testifying as a key prosecution witness in Lim's corruption trial involving the construction of a major road and undersea tunnel project in Penang worth RM6.3 billion. Lim is also the Bagan Member of Parliament. Gnanaraja said he used his company, Bumi Muhibah Holding Sdn Bhd, as the vehicle to channel bribe payments to Lim. "The company was established on Aug 10, 2016, and registered under the names Aminah Madian and Mohd Rezal Jantan as directors. "Later, in August 2017, I intended to use this company as the vehicle for bribe payments to Lim. "This company has only one bank account, and I was the sole person authorised to withdraw money from it. "All the requests to set up the company and its account were made while I was with Lim in a car on the way to Publika on Aug 20, 2017. "Lim also had personally viewed the company's Form 49 during a visit to my house on Aug 29, the same year. "He wanted to see the document to gain personal confidence in the company's management and the preparation of its documents. "Form 49 contained details of the company's directors, managers, and secretary," he said while testifying before Judge Azura Alwi today. Gnanaraja said he was chosen to act as the middleman between Lim and Zarul because he was not affiliated with any opposition parties at the time. He recounted his first task as the middleman when he received RM2 million in cash from Zarul near Eastin Hotel in Petaling Jaya for the purpose of delivering it to Lim on Aug 18, 2017. He said Zarul had put two dark-coloured bags with hand straps and and placed them directly into the boot of his Bentley. Gnanaraja said he knew the bags contained cash because as Zarul placed the first bag, he said "1M," and repeated the same as he placed the second. By "1M", he understood that Zarul meant RM1 million. He said that on Aug 20, Zarul contacted him and said they needed to pick up Lim at the Wen Worth Hotel near Pudu. However, the trial was cut short after Gnanaraja began coughing severely and said he was feeling unwell. 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 Aug 19.
The Sun
23-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Key witness claims company used to funnel bribes to Lim Guan Eng
KUALA LUMPUR: The key prosecution witness in the Penang undersea tunnel corruption trial involving Lim Guan Eng told the Sessions Court today that his vehicle company was used as a conduit for bribery payments to the former chief minister. Businessman G. Gnanaraja, 44, testified that Lim had instructed him to set up a company, Bumi Muhibah Capital Holding Sdn Bhd, and open a bank account for it. The company was incorporated on Aug 10, 2016, and in August 2017, he used it to facilitate bribe payments to Lim. 'All instructions to establish the company and open the account were given by Lim while we were in a car en route to Publika on Aug 20, 2017. The company held a CIMB Bank account at the CIMB KLCC branch. 'I had full access to the account as I was the sole authorised individual to withdraw funds,' he said while reading his witness statement during the trial involving the Penang road and undersea tunnel project. The 37th prosecution witness added that he became acquainted with Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, then Director of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB), around May 2017. Between Aug 10 and 19, 2017, they communicated regarding Gnanaraja acting as the intermediary between Zarul Ahmad and Lim. Gnanaraja testified that Datuk Zarul selected him as an intermediary to deliver cash to Lim based on trust and the fact that he was not affiliated with any opposition party at the time. He further stated that during a meeting at Hotel Impiana in Ipoh on Aug 18, 2017, he and Zarul discussed a sum of RM2 million that Zarul intended to hand over to Lim. 'Later that day, around 5 pm, while I was at home, Datuk Zarul called and asked to meet him at Eastin Hotel, Petaling Jaya at 6 pm. Upon arrival, Datuk Zarul exited his vehicle, retrieved two dark-coloured bags and placed them in the boot of my car. 'I understood the bags contained cash as Datuk Zarul said '1M' while placing the first bag and '1M' again with the second. By '1M', I understood him to mean one million ringgit,' he said. Gnanaraja added that upon returning home, he opened both bags and found they contained bundles of RM100 banknotes. 'I did not count the bundles of cash. I confirm that both bags remained in my study and were not moved until I received a call from Datuk Zarul on Aug 20, 2017,' he said. Gnanaraja said, on that morning, he received a phone call from Zarul Ahmad instructing him to prepare one of the bags containing RM1 million and proceed to the vicinity of Hotel Wen Worth in Pudu to pick up Lim. 'When we reached there, Lim, dressed in the official white chief minister's attire bearing the Penang state crest, entered Datuk Zarul's car. I was wearing a batik shirt. 'Lim greeted us and exchanged pleasantries with both of us. He informed me that he had initially intended to arrange a meeting between me and an individual named Datuk Ewein, but chose instead to speak with me directly to discuss confidential financial matters intended for his benefit,' Gnanaraja testified. According to the amended first charge, Lim, 64, is accused, in his capacity as the then chief minister of Penang, of abusing his position to receive a bribe of RM3.3 million to assist a company owned by Zarul Ahmad in securing the Major Roads and Undersea Tunnel Construction Project in Penang, valued at RM6,341,383,702. The offence allegedly took place between January 2011 and August 2017 at the Chief Minister's Office in Penang. Under the amended second charge, Lim is accused of soliciting a 10 percent bribe out of the project's future profits from Zarul Ahmad for assisting his company in securing the same project. The solicitation allegedly took place near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, between 12.30 am and 2.00 am in March 2011. Additionally, Lim faces two charges of disposing of a couple of state-owned lots of land in Penang, valued at RM208.8 million, to a developer linked to the undersea tunnel project. These offences were allegedly committed at the Penang Land and Mines Office, Komtar, on Feb 17, 2015, and March 22, 2017. The trial before Judge Azura Alwi resumes on Aug 19. - Bernama
Barnama
23-07-2025
- Business
- Barnama
My Company Was Used To Facilitate Bribes To Lim Guan Eng, Says Key Witness
KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 (Bernama) -- The key prosecution witness in the Penang undersea tunnel corruption trial involving Lim Guan Eng told the Sessions Court today that his vehicle company was used as a conduit for bribery payments to the former chief minister. Businessman G. Gnanaraja, 44, testified that Lim had instructed him to set up a company, Bumi Muhibah Capital Holding Sdn Bhd, and open a bank account for it. The company was incorporated on Aug 10, 2016, and in August 2017, he used it to facilitate bribe payments to Lim. "All instructions to establish the company and open the account were given by Lim while we were in a car en route to Publika on Aug 20, 2017. The company held a CIMB Bank account at the CIMB KLCC branch. "I had full access to the account as I was the sole authorised individual to withdraw funds," he said while reading his witness statement during the trial involving the Penang road and undersea tunnel project. The 37th prosecution witness added that he became acquainted with Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, then Director of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB), around May 2017. Between Aug 10 and 19, 2017, they communicated regarding Gnanaraja acting as the intermediary between Zarul Ahmad and Lim. Gnanaraja testified that Datuk Zarul selected him as an intermediary to deliver cash to Lim based on trust and the fact that he was not affiliated with any opposition party at the time. He further stated that during a meeting at Hotel Impiana in Ipoh on Aug 18, 2017, he and Zarul discussed a sum of RM2 million that Zarul intended to hand over to Lim. "Later that day, around 5 pm, while I was at home, Datuk Zarul called and asked to meet him at Eastin Hotel, Petaling Jaya at 6 pm. Upon arrival, Datuk Zarul exited his vehicle, retrieved two dark-coloured bags and placed them in the boot of my car. "I understood the bags contained cash as Datuk Zarul said '1M' while placing the first bag and '1M' again with the second. By '1M', I understood him to mean one million ringgit," he said.
New Straits Times
23-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Witness: I was tasked with delivering RM2mil bribe to Guan Eng
KUALA LUMPUR: A key witness in Lim Guan Eng's corruption trial left the courtroom on edge today as he described how he was appointed to deliver millions in bribes to the former Penang chief minister eight years ago. Businessman G. Gnanaraja said the bribe was linked to the Penang Undersea Tunnel project, where he was appointed by Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB) director Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli to act as a middleman to deliver the money to Lim. CZCSB was the company awarded the RM6.34 billion Penang undersea tunnel project. The DAP chairman who sat in the accused dock was calm while listening to Gnanaraja's testimony before Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi. Gnanaraja said that between Aug 10 and 19, 2017, he and Zarul had multiple discussions about appointing him as the intermediary to deliver bribes to Lim. He said Zarul chose him based on trust and because he was not affiliated with any opposition parties at the time. Gnanaraja also revealed that he had used his company, Bumi Muhibah Holding Sdn Bhd, as the vehicle to channel bribe payments to Lim, as he was the sole person authorised to withdraw money from its bank account. "All the requests to set up the company and its account were made while I was with Lim in a car on the way to Publika on Aug 20, 2017. "Lim had personally viewed the company's Form 49 during a visit to my house on Aug 29, the same year. "He wanted to see the document to gain personal confidence in the company's management and the preparation of its documents. "Form 49 contained details of the company's directors, managers, and secretary," he said. Meanwhile, Gnanaraja said on Aug 18, 2017, he received RM2 million in cash from Zarul near Eastin Hotel in Petaling Jaya for the purpose of delivering it to Lim. "When I reached the hotel lobby, my driver parked my Bentley in front of Zarul's grey Mercedes S300. "Zarul, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, then stepped out of his car, retrieved two dark-coloured bags with hand straps, and placed them directly into the boot of my car. "I knew the bags contained cash because as he placed the first bag, he said '1M,' and repeated the same as he placed the second. By '1M,' I understood that he meant RM1 million. "When I arrived home, I transferred both bags into my office room. I saw that the bags contained bundles of RM100 cash notes in large quantities. "I did not count the bundles in either of the two bags," he said. However, the trial was cut short after Gnanaraja began coughing severely and said he was feeling unwell. On June 24, 2022, Zarul, when testifying as witness, admitted that he gave Lim RM2 million in cash after his company was awarded the three paired roads and undersea tunnel project by the Penang government. On the delivery of RM2 million to Lim, Zarul said he contacted Gnanaraja and told him that he wanted to give some "chocolates" to "big boss" on Aug 17, 2017. He said apart from the RM2 million cash, he also paid Lim a total of RM300,000 in three stages and RM500,000 twice as part of the 10 per cent cut from the profit of the project. 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 Aug 19.
The Sun
10-07-2025
- The Sun
MACC IO reports money given to Lim Guan Eng in Penang tunnel case
KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer testified in court that he reported to superiors regarding money allegedly given to former Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. Senior Superintendent Ng Heng Jun stated that Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, former director of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd, disclosed payments made to both G. Gnanaraja and Lim during a fraud investigation in 2019. Ng clarified that while Zarul provided general details about the funds given to Lim, he was not directly involved in that specific investigation. 'I informed MACC superiors, and they assured a special probe would follow,' he said during re-examination by Deputy Public Prosecutor Farah Yasmin Salleh. The case involves a RM6.3 billion Penang infrastructure project. The witness confirmed he did not prevent Zarul from testifying about the payments to Lim. 'I wanted to avoid mixing evidence between the two separate cases,' Ng explained. Lim faces multiple charges, including allegedly accepting RM3.3 million in bribes linked to the project between 2011 and 2017. Additional charges accuse Lim of soliciting a 10% profit share from Zarul's company and improperly disposing of state land worth RM208.8 million. The trial before Judge Azura Alwi resumes on July 22. – Bernama
