KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 15): Lim Guan Eng’s undersea tunnel graft trial scheduled on Friday has been postponed as key witness Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli was down with fever and placed on medical leave.

Deputy public prosecutor Mahadi Abdul Jumaat informed Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi of this and promised to produce the medical certificate at the next hearing date.

Following this, Azura granted the adjournment and fixed Feb 27 and Feb 28 next year as continued hearing dates.

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Zarul Ahmad, who is the Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd director and the prosecution's 23rd witness, is suffering from cancer.

Mahadi informed that the parties have also agreed to 27 days of trial for next year for continued hearing following the Feb 27 date.

The Bagan member of Parliament and Ayer Putih assemblyman is on trial for using his position as the then-Penang chief minister to solicit a 10% cut in the RM6.3 billion undersea tunnel project’s profits from Zarul, in return for aiding the businessman’s company to secure the project.

Lim, who is also DAP chairman and a former finance minister, is also accused of accepting RM3.3 million in kickbacks. A purported RM2 million paid on Aug 18, 2017, via businessman G Gnanaraja, is said to be part of the RM3.3 million.

Lim, 63, also faces two counts of dishonest misappropriation of property in releasing two plots of state-owned land, cumulatively worth RM208.75 million, to Ewein Zenith Sdn Bhd and Zenith Urban Development — two property companies linked to the controversial undersea tunnel project.

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