Guan Eng’s lawyers in no hurry to submit papers

GEORGE TOWN: The defence team in Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s corruption trial is in no hurry to present their defence documents, despite a Federal Court ruling that said they will have to submit the papers before the hearing.

Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo said the documents were only needed in the trial proper and not during case management on Jan 10 at the Penang High Court.

“We are working on the case and we have time as the hearing dates will only be fixed on Jan 10,” he said.

Lim was told to submit his defence for his corruption trial after the Federal Court allowed the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s

(MACC) appeal and ruled that the MACC Act 2009’s Section 62 was constitutional.

The section requires accused persons to disclose their defence statements to the prosecution before the beginning of the trial. The Court of Appeal had on Aug 17 ruled that Section 62 was unconstitutional.

This overturned the High Court’s March 7 decision to dismiss Lim’s application on the grounds that Section 62 did not impede the accused’s right to a fair trial.

On June 30 last year, Lim pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption in relation to the conversion of land from agricultural to residential and the purchase of a plot of land and bungalow at below market value.

Lim was charged with using his position as Chief Minister to gain gratification for himself and his wife, Betty Chew Gek Cheng, by approving the application for conversion of agriculture land to a public housing zone in south-west Penang to a company, Magnificient Emblem Sdn Bhd.

He faces a second charge of using his position to obtain for himself a plot of land and a bungalow located at No, 25, Jalan Pinhorn, George Town on July 28, 2015 from businesswoman Phang Li Koon for RM2.8mil, below market value.

Phang was charged with abetting him in obtaining the bungalow at an undervalued cost.

Meanwhile, Penang MCA chairman Datuk Tan Teik Cheng said the decision by the Federal Court showed the courts were independent from outside influence.

“Everyone should allow the trial to take its course and lead to a conclusion for justice to prevail,” added Tan.

Everyone should allow the trial to take its course and lead to a conclusion for justice to prevail. Datuk Tan Teik Cheng