CZCSB WON ROAD, TUNNEL PROJECT NOT BY COINCIDENCE - WITNESS

KUALA LUMPUR,  April 15  (Bernama) -- A former director of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB) told the Sessions Court here today that it was not by coincidence that the company won the project for the construction of roads and an undersea tunnel in Penang.

Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, 66, said the company had the advantage in entering the tender because he was the only one who attended three meetings in 2011 regarding the project.

He said this when re-examined by Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin at the trial of former Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who is facing four charges of corruption involving the project, which is worth RM6.3 billion.

To another question by Wan Shaharuddin on who would lose, Zarul Ahmad said the state government could be the one.

"The study on the project has not been completed, but I have received two lots of land. So,  you can say the state government is the one to lose and until now the 'detail design' of the project has not been completed yet,” he said.

In the proceeding yesterday, the 23rd prosecution witness told the court that his company had an advantage as it was assisted by state government officials.

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.

Under the amended second charge, Lim is accused of soliciting a 10 per cent 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 continues on May 14.

-- BERNAMA