KUALA LUMPUR – The sessions court here was told today that former Ewein Zenith Sdn Bhd (EZCB) managing director Datuk Ewe Swee Kheng expressed concern for his safety after disclosing the corruption case allegedly involving former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng over the state’s main road and seabed tunnel construction project.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) assistant superintendent Muhammad Nazree Mansor, 32, said this when reading a recording of Ewe’s conversation which he took at the MACC Penang office on August 14, 2021.
The late Ewe, who was supposed to be called as the 15th prosecution witness, died after reportedly falling from a luxury condominium unit in Jalan Kelawei, Penang, on October 5, 2021.
Nazree, who was recalled to testify today, said Ewe said he was worried there would be adverse implications for him if anyone knew he had made the revelation.
According to the witness, the recording of Ewe’s conversation stated, “I felt a little worried about my safety after making this confession. But I will be vigilant after this.”
The recording officer said that the deceased also stated that when MACC began its investigation into the road and tunnel construction projects, Pakatan Harapan was in power in the country.
“YB LGE (Lim Guan Eng) also escaped a court case related to the bungalow scandal he faced, from which I (Ewe) knew YB LGE was ‘untouchable’ at the time,” said the witness, who read out a recording of the deceased’s conversation.
Nazree added that Ewe also stated that he had heard many stories that Lim had received money from the contracting firm, and he had to tell the truth because if it was kept secret, a time would come when it would be revealed and affect his business.
According to the witness, Ewe also said that he was never forced to give the statement, and what was told to MACC was true, apart from informing that the statement was made in connection with Lim’s meetings and dealings with him.
Recordings of the deceased’s conversation were taken by MACC six times, including the recording of the last conversation on August 14, 2021.
Apart from that, Nazree said, Ewe stated in the recording that Lim had met and informed him that there was already a project that could help him, namely the tunnel project in Penang which was a state government project.
“He (Lim) also told me that the project will be given to Consortium Zenith Beijing Urban Construction Group Sdn Bhd (CZBUCG) owned by Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli. YB LGE asked me to meet with CZBUCG representative Datuk Zarul to deal with the sale of land to my company (EZCB).
“YB LGE also told me that if my deal with Datuk Zarul is successful, I can control the money because the company does not have power. I also asked for help from YB LGE in naming EZCB as the owner of Lot 702, which had been given to CZBUCG from the Penang government.
“With regard to the highway and tunnel project, I was really interested in developing the Lot 702 land. At that time, I knew Datuk Zarul through the media as the ‘Six Billion Dollar Man’,” read the recording of Ewe’s conversation.
Meanwhile, Nazree disagreed with the suggestion of Lim’s counsel Gobind Singh Deo that the late Ewe did not testify voluntarily when the recording of his conversation was taken on August 14, 2021, and as such, contradicted other evidence.
Asked by the lawyer about Ewe’s death before the witness was called to testify in Lim’s corruption trial, Nazree said he only knew about Ewe’s death from media reports, and that an investigation had been carried out by police.
Lim faces an amended charge of using his position as then Penang chief minister to obtain a bribe of RM3.3 million, for helping a company owned by Zarul to secure the construction project, worth RM6,341,383,702.
He is alleged to have committed the act at the Penang Chief Minister’s Office, 28th floor, Komtar, George Town, between January 2011 and August 2017.
On the second amended charge, Lim is accused of soliciting bribes amounting to 10% of the profits to be earned by the company from Zarul, as gratification for helping the company secure the project.
The offence was allegedly committed near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, in March 2011.
Lim also faces two 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.
He was charged with committing the act at the Penang Land and Mines Office, 21st floor, Komtar, on Feb 17, 2015 and March 22, 2017.
The trial before judge Azura Alwi continues tomorrow. – Bernama, March 23, 2022
