Guan Eng's corruption case transferred to High Court
Astro Awani
June 30, 2016 11:33 MYT
June 30, 2016 11:33 MYT
Lim (centre) being escorted to the Penang Sessions Court this morning. - BERNAMApic
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s corruption case over a bungalow purchase has been transferred to the Penang High Court this morning.
Lim, 56, and businesswoman Phang Li Khoon, were detained by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) yesterday in connection with the chief minister's purchase of a bungalow here for an alleged undervalued price of RM2.8 million.
The bungalow at Jalan Pinhorn was formerly owned by Phang.
The duo are slated to be charged under the MACC Act 2009.
Lim arrived at the courthouse around 10am escorted by MACC officers. Earlier, he was brought out of the SPRM office in Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah here via the commission’s official transport.
The DAP secretary-general’s arrival at the courthouse was met with cheers from fellow supporters who had begun gathering there since 8am.
Lim, donning a black suit and a red tie, looked calm as he entered the courthouse. He first embraced his family members before shaking hands with several DAP and PKR state leaders who were there to support him.
Although Lim was calm, the same could not be said for his family as they could not hold back tears.
At the time Lim exited the Sessions Court to make his way to the High Court, some 1,000-odd supporters and members of the public had gathered outside the premises.
This is the first time in four decades that a serving minister is being charged in court with corruption, after the late Datuk Seri Harun Idris. Harun, who was the eight Selangor Menteri Besar and the state's longest serving MB to date, had been found guilty of various corruption charges, including misuse of state funds, between 1975 and 1977 and sentenced to six years' jail.
It is also noted that this is the first time Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamad Apandi Ali is leading the prosecution following his appointment as A-G on July 27 last year.