KUALA LUMPUR – The lawyer representing a key witness in the corruption trial of Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng has disputed the police’s classification of an attack on his client as a robbery.
Datuk RT Rajasekaran, the lawyer for businessman G. Gnanaraja, who is a key witness in the trial, said his client had been attacked by a group of men who issued threats and ordered him to remain silent.
According to the New Straits Times (NST), Rajasekaran told a press conference: “Gnanaraja gave his statement to the police about this yesterday.”
He expressed his shock at the police’s conclusion that the incident was simply a robbery, with no connection to witness tampering.
“We were stunned when we heard the police describe it as a straightforward robbery, with no involvement in witness intimidation,” Rajasekaran added.
Gnanaraja, who was also present at the press briefing, revealed the details of the assault.
“I was struck in the mouth and started bleeding,” he recounted. “They told me, ‘Don’t open your mouth, do you understand?'”
He also described how the attackers seemed more focused on threatening him than actually stealing anything.
“This cut on my hand is a warning,” Gnanaraja quoted one of the assailants as saying. “If you speak again, you’ll know what will happen.”
Gnanaraja further expressed his hope that the police would provide witness protection for him and his family, with his wife, Datuk G. Geethanjali, saying the family has been left “fearful and traumatised.”
“My children have been asking whether we should move houses,” she said, adding that they were too afraid to sleep.
“My husband has been unable to sleep since the incident.”
Although some of their belongings were taken, Geethanjali said the stolen items were of little value.
In a separate development, Lim’s legal team criticised the media for allegedly linking their client to the robbery.
The firm Messrs Haijan Omar & Co. issued a statement condemning what they described as “premature and misleading” reports about the incident.
They expressed particular concern over comments made by lead prosecutor Datuk Wan Shahruddin Wan Ladin, accusing him of making prejudicial remarks before the police had completed their investigation.
“While we recognise the prosecution’s consideration of protective measures, such steps must be based on genuine safety concerns, not on speculative assumptions that unfairly associate our client with this incident,” the statement said.
The legal team also pointed out that Petaling Jaya police had confirmed the robbery as the motive, dismissing any claims of witness tampering.
“We believe that any insinuation of Lim’s involvement in this incident undermines the judicial process and causes unnecessary harm to his reputation,” the lawyers argued. They added that they would raise the matter when the trial resumes on August 19 in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.
Lim’s legal team also urged media outlets to verify their facts before reporting on the trial to avoid compromising the integrity of the proceedings. – August 7, 2025