Did the witness pay RM19 million to conmen for protection?

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The Witness Was Prepared to Pay RM19 Million to Conmen for Protection

The witness, Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, stated in court that he was prepared to pay RM19 million to conmen who claimed to have influence with the government. This payment was intended to secure protection for Lim Guan Eng from corruption probes related to the Penang undersea tunnel project. Zarul Ahmad further indicated his obligation to Lim Guan Eng, questioning why he would act against someone who had supported him.
Purported RM19 Million Payment for Dropping Investigations

Defence lawyer Gobind Singh Deo questioned Zarul Ahmad regarding a purported RM19 million payment made to individuals presenting themselves as the "powers that be." The objective of this payment was to cease graft investigations against Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd, the main contractor for the Penang undersea tunnel project. Zarul Ahmad confirmed his willingness to bribe the then prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, specifically to shield Lim Guan Eng from these investigations.
Businessman Identified as One of the Purported Conmen

Among the individuals identified as the purported conmen was businessman G. Gnanaraja, who reportedly had close ties to Prime Minister Najib Razak. Gnanaraja has since been charged with cheating Zarul Ahmad and had his Datukship revoked. He was accused of deceiving Zarul Ahmad into paying him RM19 million between July and August 2017, by claiming he could use his connections to resolve an ongoing Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) probe into Consortium Zenith Construction.
Witness Admitted Preparedness to Pay to Close Graft Probes

Under further cross-examination, Zarul Ahmad admitted his readiness to pay money to close corruption probes, explicitly stating that he would do anything in his power to stop investigations against Lim Guan Eng. This admission came after Gobind Singh Deo pressed for a direct "yes or no" answer regarding Zarul Ahmad's preparedness to commit a criminal offence for the sake of protecting someone. The witness affirmed his willingness to take such measures to ensure Lim Guan Eng was not targeted.

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Did the witness pay RM19 million to conmen for protection?

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