CZBUCG appointed tunnel, road project contractor after scoring 'high marks' - Witness

KUALA LUMPUR: A former Penang executive councillor told the Sessions Court here today that Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd (CZBUCG) had been appointed to carry out major road and undersea tunnel construction projects in the state as the company got the 'highest marks' for the overall technical and financial assessment.

Datuk Lim Hock Seng, 73, said CZBUCG, which was set up as a joint venture between Zenith BUCG, Juteras Sdn Bhd and Sri Tinggi Sdn Bhd, had received a recommendation by the State Technical and Finance Committee as it had passed the conditions in the Request for Proposal (RFP).

The third prosecution witness in the corruption trial of former Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, involving the Penang undersea tunnel and road projects in the state, said the pre-qualification advertisement through the state government website was published on Nov 11, 2011, while the advertisement through local newspapers was done on Nov 15, 2011.

He said the tender briefing was carried out twice, on Nov 29, 2011 and Dec 14 the same year, at Menara Komtar, which was attended by representatives from 60 companies, both foreign and local.

"Once the briefings were over, 11 companies submitted pre-qualification documents and companies that passed the pre-qualification evaluated by the Technical and Finance committee, chaired by Senior State Financial Officer Datuk Mokhtar Jait.

"This committee is responsible for evaluating and making recommendations for developers to participate in the RFP," he said when reading out his witness statement on the third day of the trial. Guan Eng is facing four charges involving the construction of an undersea tunnel and road projects in Penang.

Elaborating further on the tender procedure, Hock Seng said an RFP document was prepared by the State Economic Planning Unit (UPEN) and submitted to the eight companies, to open the RFP invitation which has several conditions that must be complied with.

"However, on March 19, 2012, YB Lim proposed to establish two separate committees, namely technical and financial, in the evaluation of the RFP. The proposal was approved by the State Executive Council on the same date.

"As far as I know, CZBUCG was appointed for getting the highest marks for the overall technical and financial assessment. The matter was then raised to the state executive council for approval," he said.

Yesterday, when testifying, Hock Seng told the court that Guan Eng on Jan 26, 2011, had provided him the phone numbers of two construction company representatives, namely Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli and Datuk Lee Chee Hoe to discuss the undersea tunnel and paired road projects

According to the first amended charge, Guan Eng was charged with using his position as the Penang Chief Minister then, for gratification amounting RM3.3 million, as an inducement for helping a company belonging to Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli to secure the undersea tunnel project, valued at RM6.3 million.

The offence was allegedly committed between January 2011 and August 2017 at the Penang Chief Minister's Office.

On the second amended charge, Guan Eng is accused of soliciting bribes amounting to 10 per cent of the profits from Zarul to be earned by the company as gratification for helping his (Zarul) company to secure the project.

The offence was allegedly committed near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, here, between 12.30 am and 2 am in March 2011.

The Bagan member of parliament also faces two charges with causing two plots of land, worth RM208.8 million, belonging to the Penang government to be disposed of to two companies, which are linked to the state's undersea tunnel project.

The offence was allegedly committed at the Penang Land and Mines Office, Level 21, KOMTAR, on Feb 17, 2015, and March 22, 2017.

The trial before Judge Azura Alwi continues tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA