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KUALA LUMPUR: The objection by Lim Guan Eng’s defence team to 23 paragraphs in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) investigating officer’s witness statement is premature, says the prosecution during Lim’s undersea tunnel corruption trial at the Sessions Court here. Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin submitted that 37 prosecution witnesses have already testified, and the court would not rely solely on the evidence of the 38th witness (SP38) – Senior Supt Zulhilmi Ramli of MACC’s Investigation Division, who is also the investigating officer in Lim’s case. “Nearly all the paragraphs objected to by the defence contain the phrase ‘result of the investigation’, which indicates that SP38 conducted a complex investigation in this case and needs to inform the court of his findings. “The court is not necessarily bound by this witness’s opinion, because the court must still evaluate all the evidence in its entirety alongside other testimony to reach its legal and factual conclusions,” he said during the trial here yesterday, Bernama reported. Lim faces four charges related to the construction of major roads and an undersea tunnel in Penang. Meanwhile, DPP Mahadi Abdul Jumaat said the accused is not prejudiced at this stage as he still has the opportunity to challenge SP38’s evidence during cross--examination. Earlier, Lim’s counsel, Ram-karpal Singh, argued that SP38 had presented testimony that was biased against his client. He contended that SP38’s -characterisation of the undersea tunnel project as a “land scam” and his use of terms such as “non-transparent” and “rushed” in his witness statement represented personal opinions. The defence, therefore, sought to have all 23 contested paragraphs struck off from the court record, with Judge Azura Alwi scheduled to deliver her ruling on this application on Nov 12. 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 RM3.3mil 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. Under the amended second charge, Lim is accused of soliciting a 10% bribe out of the project’s future profits from Zarul Ahmad for assisting his company in securing the same project. Additionally, Lim faces two charges of disposing of several lots of state-owned land in Penang valued at RM208.8mil to a developer linked to the undersea tunnel project.
