KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 — The hearing for the corruption trial of former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng today was vacated as he was in quarantine due to close contact with a Covid-19 patient.
Lim’s lawyer, Gobind Singh Deo, told the Sessions Court that his client was under a 10-day isolation order.
“Your honour, my client was categorised as being in close contact with someone positive for Covid-19 and has to be in self quarantine from September 1 until September 10 at home.
“I wrote to the court yesterday to inform of his condition. I have also attached the medical certificate. We apologise for this,” he said.
The case is being heard in front of Sessions Court Judge Azura Alwi, who said the matter could resume from September 22 until 24.
Lim is charged with one count of soliciting a bribe and one count of abusing his power to obtain gratifications in exchange for awarding projects related to the Penang undersea tunnel project to Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd.
The former Penang chief minister and federal minister of finance is alleged to have solicited a kickback amounting to 10 per cent of the profits raked by Consortium Zenith later valued at RM3.3 million as inducement from the company’s director to help them secure the RM6.3 billion project.
He was also charged with two counts of dishonest misappropriation of property on two plots of land belonging to the Penang government worth RM208.8 million to be disposed of to two companies, which are linked to the state’s undersea tunnel project.
Source: Malay Mail
