Kuala Lumpur: Former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng, who is facing a corruption trial linked to the undersea tunnel project, has been allowed to travel to Singapore to attend the funeral of a family member.
Sessions court judge Azura Alwi, who allowed Guan Eng’s application for the temporary release of his passport, said it must be returned to the court five days after his return from Singapore on Sunday.
Deputy public prosecutor Farah Yasmin Salleh had no objection to the application.
Guan Eng, who is the DAP chairman, will leave for the island republic tomorrow.
Lawyer Syafiqah Sofian submitted that on March 1, Guan Eng was informed that his uncle, Lim Kit Yee, had died, and the funeral would be held at Orchid Hall in Singapore.
She said Guan Eng has family in Malaysia, hence he was not a flight risk.
“He is an MP (for Bagan) and the DAP national chairman,” she said, adding that her client was on RM1 million bail, another condition imposed to be freed pending the outcome of his trial.
Syafiqah said Guan Eng has been present during all court proceedings unless he had to attend Dewan Rakyat sittings or was ill.
Guan Eng is on trial on charges of using his former position as Penang chief minister to ask Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd director Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli for a 10% cut of the profits from the project, and accepting RM3.3 million in kickbacks from the businessman.
He is also accused of two counts of dishonestly misappropriating RM208.7 million worth of state land to two companies.
The trial, which is still at the prosecution stage, will resume March 17.
