KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 27): Businessman Datuk Seri G Gnanaraja testified in detail at the Sessions Court on Wednesday, telling exactly how and when he gave the former chief minister Lim Guan Eng a RM2 million cash bribe more than eight years ago.
The payment was given between Aug 20, 2017, and Aug 29, 2017.
Gnanaraja, the 37th prosecution witness in the trial involving the Penang undersea tunnel, told the court that on Aug 18, 2017, he received RM2 million in cash placed in two bags from Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, a director of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB). He kept the money in his study at his home in Petaling Jaya.
He said that on Aug 20, 2017, he went with Zarul Ahmad in his car to meet Lim at the Wen Worth Hotel. When they arrived, Lim got into Zarul’s car and sat in the back seat, and Gnanaraja got in the back seat too.
Gnanaraja said Lim, who was wearing a Penang state logo shirt, wanted to go to an official event at Publika. Lim told him he wanted to introduce Gnanaraja to Datuk Ewein, whom Gnanaraja did not know. Datuk Ewein refers to the now deceased Datuk Ewe Swee Kheng, the Penang-based property developer Ewein Bhd, which has since changed its name.
When they got to Publika, Hartamas, Gnanaraja gave Lim a bag with RM1 million from the money Zarul Ahmad had given him earlier. Lim took the bag and left, and Zarul Ahmad drove Gnanaraja home.
On Aug 25, 2017, Gnanaraja said Zarul Ahmad called to tell him that Lim wanted to visit Gnanaraja’s home for dinner on Aug 28. Zarul Ahmad also reminded him to prepare the remaining RM1 million.
The businessman said that on Aug 28, Zarul Ahmad called to say he and Lim would visit Gnanaraja’s home that night. Gnanaraja then told his wife, mother-in-law, and security guard about their visit.
“I waited until 10pm where I received a text message from Zarul Ahmad who said he was with Lim at Tropicana, Petaling Jaya. I asked Zarul Ahmad at midnight (Aug 29) and he asked me to wait for another hour. At about 1am, I received a text from Zarul Ahmad that they were on the way to my house.”
“I was excited and woke up my wife and my mother-in-law when they arrived. They arrived between 2am and 3am, and I introduced them to my wife and mother-in-law. After my wife, my mother-in-law and myself took photographs with Lim, I asked my wife and mother-in-law to leave us, as they wanted to discuss something confidential,” he said. He added that Zarul Ahmad took their photos with his phone.
The photograph taken was produced as evidence by Gnanaraja’s wife, Datuk Geethanjali Gausillia Kathirvalu, when the trial started in 2021.
Second bag with RM1 mil handed to Lim
Gnanaraja, in describing the confidential discussion, said it was about the Penang undersea tunnel project and the use of a special purpose vehicle, the Bumiputera company Bumi Muhibah Capital Holdings Sdn Bhd, as a means to pass the bribe money to Lim.
During the discussion, he said he showed Lim the Bumi Muhibbah’s Form 49 with the names of two Malay directors to gain Lim’s trust.
“Lim also asked about Bumi Muhibah’s bank account as he wanted to make sure over the channelling of RM30 million (from) the company to him from Zarul Ahmad. It is my understanding that the cost of the Penang undersea tunnel project is RM6.3 billion and I verified that out of the sum, 10% of the profit would go to Lim.”
“Lim also told me in the discussion that Zarul Ahmad agreed to this. After a one-hour discussion which ended between 4am and 5am, they wanted to leave. I retrieved the remaining RM1 million bag containing the tied RM100 notes from the boot of my Bentley car and passed it to Lim,” he said. He added that this was the money he had kept in his home study.
Lim is on trial for using his position as the then-Penang chief minister to solicit a 10% cut in the RM6.3 billion undersea tunnel project’s profits from Zarul Ahmad in return for aiding Zarul Ahmad’s company to secure the project.
The 64-year-old former finance minister, who is the current Bagan member of Parliament and Ayer Putih assemblyman, is also accused of accepting RM3.3 million in kickbacks. A purported RM2 million paid on Aug 18, 2017, via businessman Gnanaraja, is said to be part of the RM3.3 million.
The present DAP adviser also faces two counts of dishonest misappropriation of property in releasing two plots of state-owned land, cumulatively worth RM208.75 million, to Ewein Zenith Sdn Bhd and Zenith Urban Development — two property companies linked to the controversial undersea tunnel project.
The hearing continues Thursday before Judge Azura Alwi.