KUALA LUMPUR, January 11 – In the ongoing corruption trial of former Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, the Sessions Court has ruled that the prosecution must provide the defence with redacted documents of a key witness’s interrogation statement. Judge Azura Alwi ordered the prosecution to hand over the 31-page redacted documents within two weeks, enabling impeachment proceedings to commence.
The documents pertain to the statement of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB) director Datuk Zarul Ahmad Zulkifli, a crucial witness in the case. The impeachment proceedings aim to challenge Zarul Ahmad’s credibility, as he has provided contradictory testimonies in a separate court case involving businessman G. Gnanaraja in Shah Alam, Selangor. The defence argues that Zarul Ahmad’s disputed testimony involves inconsistent statements regarding payments made to Lim and then-Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 2017. The next hearing is scheduled for February 26.
Lim Guan Eng faces charges of accepting a bribe to assist a company in obtaining a construction project and soliciting a bribe related to a construction project. Additionally, he is accused of disposing of land owned by the Penang government linked to an undersea tunnel project. The court’s decision to release the key witness’s statement for impeachment underscores the importance of ensuring a fair and transparent legal process in high-profile corruption cases.
