KUALA LUMPUR: A Sessions Court judge today warned the lead defence counsel in Lim Guan Eng's corruption case against asking repeated questions when cross-examining star prosecution witness, former Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB) director Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli.
Judge Azura Alwi told off counsel Haijan Omar for asking the same questions over and over but with different words during the proceedings to challenge Zarul's credibility.
It was sparked when Haijan had repeatedly put to Zarul that the source of RM2.3 million banked into CZCSB's bank account from Vizione Construction Sdn Bhd were not proceeds from the sale of a piece of land.
The insistent questioning from Haijan, however, riled up Azura, who said the defence counsel already had the facts of the case and there was no need to ask the same matter again.
"You are just going around using different words. You said you have more parts on the impeachment.
"If we go on at this pace, I do not know when we are going to finish this," she said.
Haijan, however, told Azura that he would be able to finish the cross-examination and there was no need for her to worry about it.
"I am not worried. But, I have to control my court. This is taking too long. You are going around (the questions) but using different words.
"From the start, I already have my facts but suddenly, you have become long-winded. I have lost my concentration and have lost focus, and I might lose my facts as well.
"So, you better think about what you are doing also. Perhaps, you want the witness to answer what you want. But at the end, you will have to shoulder the risks. I am giving you a warning on that," said Azura.
In November last year, judge Azura granted Guan Eng's application to commence impeachment proceedings against Zarul.
In January this year, Guan Eng, who is former Penang chief minister, obtained a witness statement to challenge the credibility of Zarul, one of the star witnesses in the ongoing trial of the Penang undersea tunnel project corruption case.
CZCSB was the company awarded the RM6.34 billion Penang undersea tunnel project.
The defence had all this while contended that Zarul had made contradicting statements when testifying as a key witness in Guan Eng's trial.
He is facing four charges of using his position as the then chief minister to solicit gratification to help Zarul's company secure the undersea tunnel project.
He was alleged to have sought a 10 per cent take of the profit to be made by the company from Zarul and accused of receiving RM3.3 million for himself and causing two plots of land belonging to the state government to be disposed of to two companies linked to the project.
Earlier, the proceedings also got a little heated when co-defence counsel R.S.N. Rayer pressed Zarul if he had lied in a statement he had given to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in January 2018.
Zarul said he was being accused of being a liar and Rayer ticked off the former for looking at lead deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin and not at the judge when answering the court.
Wan Shaharuddin objected to this, saying that he was not looking at Zarul and that the defence had been using the same argument since the proceedings began.
To this, Azura ordered the court to move on with the proceedings and ruled that both parties could put in their submissions later.
"Don't tell me you want to argue here until afternoon, until the time to break fast? It will not finish as both parties will want to state their opinion.
"I will assess the evidence disclosed before me. When you all argue and are triggered, you still will not get an answer," she said.