Corruption charges against Guan Eng dropped

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Lim Guan Eng

 

KUCHING: The Penang High Court has dropped the corruption charges against Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng and businesswoman Phang Li Koon, reported Free Malaysia Today.

The charges were over the purchase of a bungalow at allegedly below market price.

According to FMT, Justice Hadhariah Syed Ismail ruled that the case be dropped after the prosecution proffered that the accused be discharged not amounting to acquittal.

Hadhariah was quoted as saying, the case could not be held and that the right thing to do was to acquit the accused since the prosecutors had decided to drop the case altogether.

Lim, 58, was charged with committing the offence when chairing the Penang State Planning Committee Meeting on the 28th Floor of the Komtar Building here, on July 18, 2015.

He was charged under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of no less than five times the amount or value of the gratification, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

On the second charge, Lim was accused to have abused his position with acquiring a bungalow on Jalan  Pinhorn, George Town here, from businesswoman Phang Li Koon, whom he also allegedly had official dealings with, for RM2.8 million, which was about RM1.5 million below the market price at the time.

Lim was charged with committing the offence at No. 25 Jalan Pinhorn, George Town, on Oct 21, 2015 under Section 165 of the Penal Code which carries a jail sentence of up to two years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.

Phang, meanwhile, pleaded not guilty to allegations of abetting Lim in obtaining the bungalow at a lower price.

She was charged under Section 109 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 165, which provides for a jail term of up to two years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.

In May this year, both Lim and Phang filed their respective representations to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for the corruption charges against them  to be dropped.