GEORGE TOWN: The counsel in former Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's misappropriation of property cases told the deputy public prosecutor not to be "delusional" after the latter said they have a high chance of winning.
Lim claimed trial at the Butterworth Sessions Court today to two counts of dishonestly misappropriating property by disposing two plots of land belonging to the Penang government in Bandar Tanjong Pinang worth RM208 million to two companies linked to the Penang undersea tunnel project.
Soon after the court proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Shaharudin Wan Ladin, who labeled the charges against Lim as the "mother of all charges", told newsmen that their policy was only to charge if there was a 99 per cent chance of winning.
Lim's counsel, Gobind Singh Deo, ridiculed Wan Shaharudin's claim.
"My response to this deputy public prosecutor is simple. Don't be delusional.
"If you only prefer charges in cases where you are 99 per cent sure of convictions, then why don't you see 99 per cent convictions in all criminal prosecutions? This is because in many cases, the evidence produced just isn't enough to secure a conviction.
"So let us be clear here. We the defence is of the view that the prosecution has no case against Lim (Guan Eng). We will show in court that he is innocent of all the charges against him and we will show exactly what sort of a prosecution this is," Gobind said in a Facebook posting.
Gobind said the defence, for now, would exercise restraint and not go deeper into the facts of the case as the court had advised them against doing so.
"But rest assured, we will take the prosecution on right to the hilt in this case," he said.
He also said the prosecution had, in court, asked for orders to restrain people from speaking about the case.
He, however, noted that the prosecution itself appeared to be commenting on the case outside of court.
"Do they not have any respect for the court or those very orders they applied for in court?
"We will move the court for orders to deal with this next week. We are of the view that what he has done is clearly subjudice.
"So bring it on. Let this be the 'mother of all charges' then. Let's see what happens," he said.
Lim, who is DAP secretary-general and former finance minister, has said that the two charges he faced amounted to abuse of power. He accused the Perikatan Nasional government of seeking to smear and tarnish his reputation in the run-up to the Sabah polls and possible upcoming general election.
He also said he would prove his innocence in court.