Guan Eng and wife arrive for verdict in bid to have graft charges struck out

GEORGE TOWN: Former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng, his wife Betty Chew and businesswoman Phang Li Koon are at the Penang High Court Friday (May 3) morning for the decision on their bid to have corruption charges against them struck out.

Lim and Chew were accompanied by assemblymen Joseph Ng (Air Itam), Connie Tan (Seri Delima), Teh Lai Heng (Komtar) and Daniel Gooi (Padang Lalang), among others.

Veteran politician Datuk Seri Phee Boon Poh was there to show support as well.

The trio are seeking to strike out corruption charges involving a RM11.6mil foreign workers’ dormitory project.

Last year, Lim’s lawyer RSN Rayer told the High Court he was filing an application for the case to be struck out.

He claimed the prosecution was using evidence from a previous criminal case involving the purchase of Lim’s bungalow in Jalan Pinhorn despite his acquittal and discharge in 2018.

The case was transferred from a Sessions Court in Butterworth, where they had claimed trial in 2020.

They were charged under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.

The case revolves around a dormitory project awarded to a company linked to Phang when Lim was chief minister.

Lim is accused of giving gratification worth RM372,009 to Chew via Excel Property Management and Consultancy Sdn Bhd to ensure that Magnificent Emblem Sdn Bhd was awarded the project at Juru and Batu Kawan.

The offence was alleged to have been committed between Aug 19, 2013, and March 3, 2016, when Lim was also tender board chairman of the Penang Development Corporation.

Phang was charged with abetting Lim under Section 28 (1)(c) of the MACC Act.

Meanwhile, Chew was charged with three counts of laundering the RM372,009 in three tranches from a Public Bank account registered at the Taman Melaka Raya branch between Oct 7, 2013 and March 3, 2016.