BUTTERWORTH: The corruption trial of former Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, his wife Betty Chew Gek Cheng and businesswoman Phang Li Koon will only be determined three months from now.
During this morning's proceedings at the Special Corruption Sessions Court here, Judge Ahmad Azhari Abdul Hamid fixed May 28 for case management following an application by Lim and Chew's lawyer RSN Rayer that the defence needed at least three months to go through some 1,000 pages of documents for the case.
This is the third time the matter has been fixed for case management.
Rayer told Ahmad Azhari that the documents were just handed over to them on Tuesday by the prosecution team.
"We need to advice our clients and take instructions from them. There are 1,000 pages of documents and we request for three months to go through them," he said.
Rayer said there could be a constitutional challenge and interlocutory filed on the charges.
Rayer's application was also supported by Phang's lawyer A. Rueban Kumar.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Shafiq Hasim did not object to the request.
During the last proceedings on Dec 18, last year, Shafiq had told the court that there were five documents which were not included as exhibits that were handed over to the defence team, but were in the list.
As such, he had said, both the prosecution and defence team had discussed, and the prosecution team would surrender the said documents in hardcopy form to the defence team.
Lim, Chew and Phang were not in court this morning.
On Aug 11, Lim, 60, claimed trial at the same court to abusing his powers to obtain RM372,009 for his wife Chew.
The former Finance Minister and DAP secretary-general is alleged to have used his position as Penang Chief Minister and member of the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) Tender Board to obtain gratification of RM372,009 for his wife Chew through Excel Property Management & Consultancy Sdn Bhd.
He allegedly used his position to ensure that Magnificent Emblem Sdn Bhd was offered a request for a proposal for a workers' quarters project in Batu Kawan in South Seberang Perai worth RM11,610,000.
He allegedly committed the offence sometime between Aug 19 in 2013 and March 3 in 2016 at the Penang Chief Minister's office at Level 28 in Komtar.
He was charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act.
Phang, 48, also claimed trial at the same court to abetting Lim in committing the offence.
She was charged under Section 28(1)(c) of the MACC Act 2009 to be read together with Section 23 (1) and Section 24(1).
Meanwhile, Chew claimed trial to three charges of money laundering.
On the first count, she is alleged to have received RM87,009, which are proceeds of an unlawful activity from Excel Property Management and Consultancy Sdn Bhd.
The sum was allegedly banked into her Public Bank account in Melaka sometime between Oct 7 in 2013 and Aug 4 in 2014.
She is also alleged to have received a further RM180,000, which are proceeds from an unlawful activity, from the same company and banked into the same bank account.
The act was allegedly committed between Sept 3 in 2014 and Aug 11 in 2015.
The third charge against her was for receiving RM105,000 which are proceeds from an unlawful activity from the same company and banked into the same bank account.
She allegedly committed the offense between Sept 4, 2015 and March 3, 2016.
All three charges were under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLA) for receiving proceeds of an unlawful activity.
