Latest news with #ZarulAhmadZulkifli
Free Malaysia Today
7 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Guan Eng told me to set up account for payments, businessman tells court
G Gnanaraja told the sessions court he met businessman Zarul Ahmad Zulkifli in May 2017 to discuss setting up a company to facilitate intended payments to Lim Guan Eng. KUALA LUMPUR : A businessman told Lim Guan Eng's corruption trial that the former Penang chief minister instructed him to open a bank account eight years ago to facilitate payments in relation to the undersea tunnel project. G Gnanaraja said he utilised Bumi Muhibah Sdn Bhd to pay bribes to Lim sometime in August 2017. He said the company maintained a CIMB bank account ending in 783, to which he had full access. 'YB Lim and I spoke about this when we were travelling in a car,' said Gnanaraja. Gnanaraja said he met with fellow businessman Zarul Ahmad Zulkifli in May that year to discuss setting up a company for Zarul to facilitate payments to Lim. 'Zarul wanted me to be the 'middleman', to hand over money to me, as I was not involved with opposition parties (at the time),' he said, adding that Zarul subsequently introduced him to Lim. First 'middleman' task Gnanaraja told the court that he acted as a 'middleman' for the first time on Aug 20, 2017, when he was instructed to pass RM1 million to Lim. 'Zarul gave me two bags (containing RM1 million each) at Eastin Hotel a few days earlier. He put them in my car and left,' he said. Gnanaraja then went home and put the bags in his study room. 'I checked both bags and saw that they contained RM100 notes. I also locked my study room so that no one would enter,' he said. The businessman said Zarul contacted him on Aug 20, 2017, asking him to bring one of the bags. 'Zarul said that we were picking up YB Lim from Hotel Wenworth to go to Publika,' Gnanaraja said. The hearing before judge Azura Alwi was adjourned to Aug 19 after Gnanaraja told the court he was unwell. Lim is accused of using his position as Penang chief minister to solicit a 10% share of profits from the undersea tunnel project and receiving RM3.3 million in bribes from Zarul. He also faces two charges of dishonestly misappropriating RM208.7 million worth of state land.
Free Malaysia Today
10-07-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
MACC knew of graft claims against Lim since 2018, court told
DAP's Lim Guan Eng is charged with using his position as then Penang chief minister to ask a businessman for a 10% cut of the profits from the undersea tunnel project and accepting RM3.3 million in kickbacks. (Bernama pic) KUALA LUMPUR : The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) knew that former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng had been implicated in graft since 2018, the sessions court was told today. MACC investigating officer Eng Heng Jun told Lim's undersea tunnel trial that he had taken statements from witness and businessman Zarul Ahmad Zulkifli in his investigation into a cheating case. Eng said Zarul claimed that money had been paid to Lim for the project. 'I told Datuk (Zarul) to give his statement later to another (investigating officer) who would handle this case. 'I also told this to my supervisors, and they said a special investigation (against Lim) would commence,' he told the court. The witness also said that he doubted neither Zarul's credibility nor the businessman's statement to MACC in the cheating case. Eng said his investigations — which were corroborated by evidence — showed that Zarul had passed RM19 million to another businessman, G Gnanaraja, in 2017. Lim is charged with using his position as then Penang chief minister to ask Zarul for a 10% cut of the profits from the undersea tunnel project and accepting RM3.3 million in kickbacks from the businessman. He is also accused of two counts of dishonestly misappropriating RM208.7 million worth of state land. The hearing before judge Azura Alwi continues on July 22.
Free Malaysia Today
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
I wasn't pressured to implicate Guan Eng, MACC officer tells graft trial
Lim Guan Eng is on trial for corruption involving the alleged receipt of RM3.3 million from a businessman and misappropriation of RM208.7 million worth of state land. (Bernama pic) KUALA LUMPUR : An investigating officer with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has denied exerting pressure on a key witness to implicate former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng in corrupt activities involving a proposed undersea tunnel project. Eng Heng Jun told the sessions court here today businessman Zarul Ahmad Zulkifli had referred to Lim on Dec 9, 2019 during an investigation into fellow businessman G Gnanaraja. He said investigation papers were opened after a complaint was lodged against Lim for alleged abuse of power in January 2020. Lim was charged in court in August that year. Under cross-examination, Eng rejected defence lawyer Tiara Katrina Fuad's assertion that the evidence implicating Lim only surfaced because MACC had applied 'relentless pressure' on Zarul. Eng also denied advising Zarul to lodge a complaint against Lim in 2018. He also said he became aware that Lim was under investigation after hearing about it from his superiors. Lim is charged with using his position as then Penang chief minister to ask Zarul for a 10% cut of the profits from the undersea tunnel project and accepting RM3.3 million in kickbacks from the businessman. He is also accused of two counts of dishonestly misappropriating RM208.7 million worth of state land. The hearing before judge Azura Alwi continues on July 10 and 11.
Free Malaysia Today
24-06-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Probe, prosecution of businessman not in vain, MACC officer tells court
Businessman G Gnanaraja was fined RM230,000 after pleading guilty to an alternative charge of using company funds to enrich himself under Section 218(1) of the Companies Act in 2020. KUALA LUMPUR : An investigating officer from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) told the sessions court in Lim Guan Eng's corruption trial here that their efforts to probe and charge businessman G Gnanaraja had not 'gone to waste'. Eng Heng Jun acknowledged that Gnanaraja was initially charged with cheating key witness Zarul Ahmad Zulkifli in Lim's undersea tunnel project case, but that those charges were later withdrawn. Gnanaraja was fined RM230,000 after pleading guilty to an alternative charge of using company funds to enrich himself under Section 218(1) of the Companies Act in 2020. Eng told the court that the RM230,000 was paid to the government's coffers. 'I disagree with counsel's suggestion that Section 218(1) was a 'minor' charge (as opposed to the cheating charges which carried a custodial sentence),' he said during cross-examination by defence lawyer Haijan Omar. Haijan had questioned the prosecution's move to offer Gnanaraja an alternative charge. Eng said the Section 218(1) charge was offered to Gnanaraja after Zarul in 2019 amended his witness statement, telling authorities that he had made 'mistakes' regarding the source of funds allegedly used to pay Gnanaraja. He added that the amendments to the witness statement meant 'it was insufficient to proceed with the cheating charges'. Tiara Katrina Fuad, who also represented Lim, then questioned the investigating officer on whether he doubted Zarul's credibility as a witness. 'So, do you think he was not a credible witness because he changed his stand?' she asked. Eng disagreed with the lawyer, saying the instructions to offer the Section 218(1)(a) charge came from the deputy public prosecutor. The hearing continues before judge Azura Alwi on June 25. Lim is charged with using his position as then Penang chief minister to ask Zarul for a 10% cut of the profits from the undersea tunnel project and accepting RM3.3 million in kickbacks from the businessman. He is also accused of two counts of dishonestly misappropriating RM208.7 million worth of state land.
Free Malaysia Today
27-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Witness hopes Guan Eng will be acquitted in undersea tunnel graft case
Businessman Zarul Ahmad Zulkifli previously testified that he had given a truthful account to MACC officers during their investigation. (Facebook pic) KUALA LUMPUR : A key witness in Lim Guan Eng's corruption trial told the sessions court today that he hoped the former Penang chief minister would be acquitted of the graft charges related to the undersea tunnel project. Businessman Zarul Ahmad Zulkifli, who said he felt 'indebted' to Lim for helping him secure the project, admitted that he had tried to shield the politician from investigation. 'I didn't want any of the evidence obtained by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) during its probe to be presented in court,' Zarul told the court. Earlier this month, Zarul testified that he had given a truthful account to MACC officers during their investigation. He said the agency confronted him with documents related to the project, and that he 'had no choice but to tell them what happened'. He also admitted in court that he had instructed his then finance manager, Azli Adam, to prepare fake invoices to hide the payments made to Lim. 'I know what I did with the dummy invoices was wrong, but I wanted to protect YB Lim so there wouldn't be a money trail leading back to him,' Zarul said. The court also heard from MACC investigating officer Eng Heng Jun, who testified that Zarul had lodged a report against fellow businessman G Gnanaraja for allegedly cheating him of RM19 million. Eng said Gnanaraja was charged with three counts of cheating in the Shah Alam sessions court but pleaded guilty to an alternative charge in 2020 under Section 218(1) of the Companies Act. He was fined RM230,000. Lim is accused of using his position as Penang chief minister to solicit a 10% share of profits from the undersea tunnel project and receiving RM3.3 million in bribes from Zarul. He also faces two charges of dishonestly misappropriating RM208.7 million worth of state land. The hearing continues before judge Azura Alwi on June 24.
