Consortium Zenith Sdn Bhd director Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli said he received WhatsApp messages in 2017 from Gnanaraja in which he demanded payments.

Zarul said he subsequently lodged a complaint with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over the threats.

Gnanaraja had claimed trial at the Shah Alam sessions court on April 3, 2019 to three charges of cheating Zarul of RM19 million.

He was alleged to have deceived Zarul into believing that he could help him close the MACC investigations against him.

Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo then asked Zarul whether his company would be impacted if the accusations against him were proven.

Zarul answered in the affirmative.

Gobind: That was the only reason you paid him?

Zarul: It wasn’t the only reason.

Zarul, however, did not explain the other reasons why he gave Gnanaraja the RM19 million.

Gobind then asked the prosecution for a copy of Gnanaraja’s witness statement recorded by MACC during the investigations.

He also said the defence had yet to receive copies of Gnanaraja’s WhatsApp messages to Zarul as requested earlier.

Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin told the court the prosecution was not obliged to “assist” the defence by producing Gnanaraja’s witness statement.

When judge Azura Alwi asked what happened to copies of Gnanaraja’s WhatsApp messages, Wan Shaharuddin said he was still trying to obtain them from another investigation officer.

“I will confirm this tomorrow,” he said.

Lim is standing trial on charges of using his position as then Penang chief minister to ask Zarul for a 10% cut of the profits from the undersea tunnel 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 from two companies.

The hearing continues tomorrow.

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