Former finance minister Lim Guan Eng was charged in the Sessions Court today with two counts of causing two plots of state government land worth RM208.8 million to be disposed of to developers.

Lim, who is also former chief minister, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out before judge Ahmad Azhari Abdul Hamid.

On the first count, Lim was charged with causing the Penang Land Registrar to dispose of property belonging to the state government worth RM135,086,094, namely Lot Tanah No. H.S. (D) 18801, No. PT Lot 702 Seksyen 1, Bandar Tanjong Pinang, Daerah Timor Laut, Penang, to Ewein Zenith Sdn Bhd.

He was also accused of causing the Penang Land Registrar to dispose of Lot Tanah No.H.S. (D) 19318, No. PT Lot 10012 Seksyen 1, Bandar Tanjong Pinang, Daerah Timor Laut, worth RM73,668,986, to Zenith Urban Development Sdn Bhd.

Lim was charged with committing the offences at the Penang Land and Mines Office, Level 21, Komtar, on Feb 17, 2015 and March 22, 2017.

The charges, under Section 403 of the Penal Code, provide for imprisonment of up to five years, whipping and a fine upon conviction.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission deputy public prosecutors Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin and Francine Cheryl Rajendram appeared for the prosecution, while Lim was represented by lawyers Gobind Singh Deo, Ramkarpal Singh, RSN Rayer and A Sivanesan.

On Aug 7, Lim claimed trial in the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur to one charge of soliciting a 10% cut of profits from the undersea tunnel project from Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd director Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli.

He was charged with committing the offence near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City in 2011.

On Aug 10 meanwhile, he pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court in Butterworth to using his position as chief minister of Penang to receive gratification of more than RM3.3 million to help Zarul’s company secure the RM6.3 billion undersea tunnel project.

He was alleged to have committed the offence at the office of the Penang chief minister, Level 28, Komtar, George Town between January 2011 and August 2017.

He was charged again in the same court on Aug 11 in his capacity as chief minister of Penang and chairman of the Penang Development Corporation Procurement Board at the time with using his position to obtain gratification of RM372,009 for his wife, Betty Chew Gek Cheng, through a company, Excel Property Management & Consultancy Sdn Bhd.