Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had applied for a bank loan twice to purchase his bungalow at No 25 Jalan Pinhorn here, the High Court heard today.
AIA Bhd certified financial planner Lim Wern Shern said he was approached by Guan Eng’s wife, Betty Chew Gek Cheng, when he was the sales manager at Citibank Bhd, on two separate occasions in 2013 and 2015.
He said Chew had told him that it was for the purchase of the bungalow by Guan Eng from businesswoman Phang Li Koon.
He however said the client did not proceed with the first loan application.
“On June 5, 2015, Chew again called me to start the loan application process for the same bungalow.
“On June 8, I met her at Menara Penang Garden and told her that she needed to put in a new loan application, which she did.
“The bank subsequently approved a RM2.1 million loan under Guan Eng’s name, which is 75 per cent of the value of the bungalow, with a monthly repayment of RM16,172,” he said in his witness statement read out in court this morning.
Wern Shern was testifying in a joint corruption trial involving Guan Eng and Phang.
At the start of the trial yesterday, Guan Eng had claimed trial to two counts of amended charges.
On the first count, he was charged with using his position as a public officer, namely the Chief Minister of Penang, to gain gratification for himself and his wife, Betty Chew Gek Cheng, by approving the application for conversion of agriculture land to a public housing zone in southwest Penang to a company, Magnificient Emblem Sdn Bhd.
AIA Bhd certified financial planner Lim Wern Shern said he was approached by Guan Eng’s wife, Betty Chew Gek Cheng, when he was the sales manager at Citibank Bhd, on two separate occasions in 2013 and 2015.
Lim, 58, was charged with committing the offence while chairing the State Planning Committee meeting at the operations room, Level 28, Komtar building here, on July 18, 2014.
The amended charge involve the change from "civil servant" to "public officer".
The charge under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 provides an imprisonment for up to 20 years and a fine of up to five times the sum or value of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
For the second amended charge, he was charged with using his position to obtain for himself a plot of land and a bungalow, located at No 25, Jalan Pinhorn, George Town, from Phang for RM2.8 million, a price which he allegedly knew did not commensurate with the property's then market value of RM4.27 million.
The offence was allegedly committed at No 25 Jalan Pinhorn, George Town here on Oct 21, 2015 (instead of July 28, 2015 as stated in the original charge).
Lim, 58, was charged with committing the offence while chairing the State Planning Committee meeting at the operations room, Level 28, Komtar building here, on July 18, 2014.
The amended charge involve the change from "civil servant" to "public officer".
The charge under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 provides an imprisonment for up to 20 years and a fine of up to five times the sum or value of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
For the second amended charge, he was charged with using his position to obtain for himself a plot of land and a bungalow, located at No 25, Jalan Pinhorn, George Town, from Phang for RM2.8 million, a price which he allegedly knew did not commensurate with the property's then market value of RM4.27 million.
The offence was allegedly committed at No 25 Jalan Pinhorn, George Town here on Oct 21, 2015 (instead of July 28, 2015 as stated in the original charge).
The charge was under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which provides an imprisonment for up to two years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Phang also pleaded not guilty to an amended charge with abetting Guan Eng in obtaining the bungalow at an undervalued cost at the same place and date.
Phang also pleaded not guilty to an amended charge with abetting Guan Eng in obtaining the bungalow at an undervalued cost at the same place and date.
She was charged under Section 109 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 165 of the same law, which provides an imprisonment for up to two years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Wern Shern, during cross examination by Guan Eng’s lead counsel, Gobind Singh Deo, agreed that ordinarily, the price of the property to be purchased would be agreed upon by the buyer and seller before the question of formalisation arises.
He also told the court that the duty would usually be assessed once the sales and purchase agreement is legalised.
Today is the second day of the much-anticipated corruption trial.
The High Court had fixed 23 days between yesterday and May 25.
