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Guan Eng's wife to be charged with money laundering next week, says lawyer

Betty Chew (second from left), wife of former finance minister Lim Guan Eng, leaves the MACC Penang branch in George Town August 7, 2020. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin
Betty Chew (second from left), wife of former finance minister Lim Guan Eng, leaves the MACC Penang branch in George Town August 7, 2020. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

GEORGE TOWN, Aug 7 — Betty Chew will be charged under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLA) on Tuesday, her lawyer Lee Khai revealed today.

He said she will be charged for her involvement with Excel Property Management and Consultancy Sdn Bhd.

“She will be charged at the MACC Sessions Court in Butterworth,” he said when leaving the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters at 4.30pm today.

Chew, who is former Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng’s wife, was detained this morning after she went to the MACC headquarters here to give her statement.

She was accompanied by Lee, sister-in-law Lim Hui Ying and her son Marcus Lim.

Chew was questioned for almost six hours before she was released on MACC bail of RM50,000 at about 4.30pm.

Guan Eng was arrested by the MACC yesterday after he went in to assist in an investigation into the RM6.3 million Penang undersea tunnel project.

The former Penang chief minister was charged with soliciting a bribe from the company that was awarded the contract to build the undersea tunnel.

Guan Eng claimed trial to asking for 10 per cent of profits from Datuk Zarul Zulkifli as an inducement to help his company, Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd, get the project to build the undersea tunnel.

Guan Eng was charged under Section 16 (a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009 which carries a maximum 20 years' jail and a fine of up to five times the value of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

He is expected to be charged at the Sessions Court here on Monday and Tuesday under Section 23 of the MACC Act for other cases.

It is learned that businesswoman Phang Li Koon was also detained after she turned up for questioning yesterday.

Guan Eng and Phang were both charged with graft back in 2016 but they were given a discharge amounting to an acquittal by the High Court in September 2018.

 


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