KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s former finance minister was charged Friday with corruption over a $1.5 billion undersea tunnel project, a move he slammed as political persecution by the new government.
Lim Guan Eng, who was part of a reformist government ousted in March, pleaded not guilty to a charge of soliciting 10% of potential profits in 2011 as a bribe for the contract.
He was detained late Thursday by the anti-corruption agency after they summoned him for questioning over the project in northern Penang state.
The project was approved during Lim’s tenure as Penang chief minister from 2008-2018, before he became Malaysia’s finance minister.
The 7.2 kilometre (4.5 miles) tunnel project from Penang island to peninsular Malaysia includes several highways and is to be funded through a land swap of reclaimed prime land.
The charge didn’t mention how much Lim could have gained. He faces up to 20 years in jail and a fine if convicted.
The anti-corruption agency also said that Lim will face two other charges in a Penang court next week, one related to the tunnel project and another in a different case. It didn’t give details.
Lim’s Democratic Action Party tweeted that the charges against him were political persecution as the project was awarded through an open tender and that no payment had been made.
Construction for the tunnel project hasn’t started yet as the state government is still reviewing the feasibility study.❐
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