KUALA LUMPUR: Betty Chew found herself locked out of her husband Lim Guan Eng’s undersea tunnel graft trial proceedings owing to the defence not submitting an attendees list to the court.
Raising the matter soon after the court was called into session at about 10am yesterday, lead counsel Gobind Singh Deo said that Chew and a few others, including his assistant and two other Members of Parliament, were also not allowed entry into the court building in Jalan Duta.
Judge Azura Alwi said she was bound by the standard operating procedure (SOP) for public health safety and security at the court complex.
“I was not informed of the situation. However, one could enter the court building as long as the SOPs are followed.”
She said that previously, the court had asked for a list of those who would be attending the hearing.
“Those allowed to enter would depend on the courtroom’s capacity,” she added.
However, Gobind said that no request for the list had been made for yesterday’s hearing, although one was made for last week’s proceedings.
“We gave the list last week but nobody asked for it this week. We have no issues (with complying and providing) the list,” he said.
Strict SOPs still apply at the court complex in Jalan Duta here on attendance at open court hearings as part of safety protocols.
Lim’s trial is into its 21st day after beginning on July 31. The prosecution has called 24 witnesses so far.
Its plan to recall former Penang legal adviser Datuk Faiza Zulkifli to the stand fell through as she had tested positive for Covid-19.
Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin then proceeded to recall three witnesses – former Penang state exco meeting attendees M. Maheswari, Vijayalakchimi Subramaniam and Datuk Ng Wee Kok – to verify the minutes of several state exco meetings.
The hearing will resume on May 26. Lim, 62, is facing four corruption charges involving the proposed construction of an undersea tunnel and paired roads project in Penang.
For the first amended charge, Lim is charged with using his position as then Penang chief minister to corruptly receive RM3.3mil to help Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli’s company secure the project in Penang worth RM6,341,383,702 between January 2011 and August 2017 at the Penang Chief Minister’s Office.
For the second amended charge, Lim is accused of soliciting 10% profits from Zarul Ahmad to help the company get appointed for the same project in March 2011 near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra at Mid Valley City here.
Lim is also charged with two counts of causing two lots of land worth RM208.8mil owned by the Penang government to be disposed of by the developer linked to the undersea tunnel project on Feb 17, 2015, and March 22, 2017, at the Penang Land and Mines Office in Komtar.