Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo claims businessman Zarul Ahmad Zulkifli along with two of his former colleagues, Azli Adam and Ibrahim Sahari, had testified in another case that a sum of RM2 million was meant for someone else, and not Lim.
The court had previously heard that Zarul gave Lim RM2 million sometime in August 2017.
WhatsApp conversations between Zarul and fellow businessman G Gnanaraja will prove the defence’s contention about these witnesses lying in court, Gobind said.
“I want to play videos of the testimonies they made before that Shah Alam sessions court (at this trial),” he added.
However, deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin objected, saying that it was an attempt to discredit Zarul, Azli and Ibrahim.
Gobind then said that until today, the prosecution had refused to produce a report on the WhatsApp conversations between Gnanaraja and Zarul.
“We forwarded them the details (of the report) and yet they have refused (to produce it).
“The DPPs even asked us to file a formal application to obtain it,” he added.
In response, Wan Shaharuddin said the report was not part of the prosecution’s case against Lim, and if the defence wanted it, they must make a formal application.
Gobind pointed out that the court had already ordered the prosecution to disclose the contents of the messages to the defence team, and therefore, there was no need for a formal application.
“I am entitled to ask this MACC witness (Wan Firdaus Wan Yusof) about the video,” he said.
Earlier, Firdaus told the court that he was not aware of conversations between Zarul and Gnanaraja mentioning the “giving” of “chocolates”, referring to “chocolates” as cash bribes.
Trial judge Azura Alwi then told Gobind that while he was entitled to ask questions, he must show their relevance to Lim’s corruption charges.
She also suggested that Firdaus bring the report on the WhatsApp conversations to court tomorrow.
“He (Firdaus) can refer to the report when he is answering the defence’s questions,” Azura said.
Earlier today, the court was told that former Penang lands and mines director, Arifin Awang, a potential witness in the case, had passed away last year.
Lim is accused of using his position as the then Penang chief minister to ask Zarul for a 10% cut of the profits from the undersea tunnel and roads project.
The former finance minister is also accused of seeking RM3.3 million in kickbacks to appoint Zarul’s company to undertake the project.
He also faces two counts of dishonestly misappropriating RM208.7 million worth of state land given to two companies.