MACC RECORDS PENANG EXCO MEMBER'S STATEMENT; DCM RAMASAMY IS NEXT
MACC summoned him as a witness, says lawyer
STATE Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng was summoned by the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) yesterday to have his statement taken.
Sources said Lim’s presence was to aid MACC’s probe into the proposed RM6.3 billion Penang undersea tunnel project.
Today, Deputy Chief Minister P. Ramasamy will have his statement taken, believed to be on the same issue.
Lim was seen entering the state MACC office in Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah here at 9am. The session lasted nearly 12 hours.
His lawyer, R.S.N. Rayer, said Lim was called to have his statement recorded as a witness and not as an accused.
“I have met him two to three times throughout the process, and (I) am satisfied with the treatment given to him (Lim). They (MACC officers) prepared food and drinks for him.
“We have not been told if he will be called again to have his statement taken tomorrow (today).”
In Kuala Lumpur, MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner (operations) Datuk Seri Azam Baki confirmed that Lim was summoned to have his statement recorded to assist in the probe into the matter.
“We will be calling Ramasamy to undergo the same process tomorrow (today).
“We are not ruling out that there may be more arrests as investigation intensifies.”
He said MACC should be given space to investigate the matter.
“This is a very technical issue and we have a team to look into arising issues.”
Asked if Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and other state executive council members would be summoned to have their statements taken, he declined to comment.
The tunnel project had caused numerous controversies in recent months, especially the high cost of the RM305 million technical studies as well as the 22month delay in completing them.
Investigation also revealed that some politicians could have received kickbacks, some amounting to millions of ringgit.
To date, four people — one Datuk Seri, two Datuk and a female engineering consultant — have been detained to assist in investigations.