Guan Eng withdraws appeal against dismissal of transfer bid to High Court

Former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng has withdrawn his appeal at the Federal Court against a lower court's dismissal of his bid to transfer his undersea tunnel corruption trial from the Sessions Court to the High Court.

Lim's counsel, Haijan Omar, as well as deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, confirmed the matter when contacted by Bernama.

Wan Shaharuddin said the notice of discontinuance of the appeal was filed at around noon today.

Both he and Haijan said the Federal Court had notified them, saying they did not need to attend court tomorrow for Lim's appeal following the filing of the notice of discontinuance of the appeal.

On July 12 last year, the High Court dismissed Lim's application to transfer his case from the Sessions Court to the High Court. He subsequently appealed to the Court of Appeal but this, too, was rejected on Nov 16.

The Bagan MP faces four corruption charges involving the construction of the RM6.3 billion undersea tunnel and paired roads project in Penang.

In the first amended charge, Lim is accused of using his position as Penang chief minister to obtain a bribe of RM3.3 million as an inducement to help Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd (CZBUCG) owner Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli secure the construction project worth RM6,341,383,702.

He is accused of committing the offence at the Penang Chief Minister’s Office, Level 28, Komtar, George Town, between January 2011 and August 2017.

In the second amended charge, Lim is accused of soliciting a bribe of 10% of the profit from the company as gratification to secure the project which he allegedly committed near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City in March 2011.

Lim also faces two other charges of causing two plots of land worth RM208.8 million belonging to the Penang government to be disposed of to two companies linked to the state's undersea tunnel project.

The offences were allegedly committed at the Penang Land and Mines Office, Level 21, Komtar, on Feb 17, 2015, and March 22, 2017.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Oct 19 before Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi.