Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister And DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 14.1.2018.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan has again resorted to theatrics by implying that I deliberately attempted to delay my trial for corruption. This is untrue. Any person accused is bestowed the fundamental constitutional right to defend himself fully in court, especially to observe the basic principles of natural justice that accords the right to a fair trial.
Has Abdul Rahman conveniently forgotten that all 3 judges in the Court of Appeal agreed with my argument that my right to a fair trial was severely compromised when I had to submit my defence before the commencement of my trial? Clearly this is a valid and important constitutional provision that necessitated a ruling in the Federal Court.
There is greater weight, when such corruption charges are filed against an opposition leader and Penang Chief Minister, seeking to end to 61 year old rule of the longest ruling regime in the world. Therefore, Abdul Rahman should not try to sabotage my right to a fair trial, to prove the corruption charges against me is a political conspiracy in the looming 14th general elections, but focus on explaining why the prosecution is amending the charges against me 1 ½ years after I was first charged on July 2016.
I personally find the decision by the prosecution to amend charges disturbing, 1 ½ years after they first charged me. Even though the prosecution have every right to do so, they must do their work thoroughly and competently when they are charging a public figure who is also the Penang Chief Minister.
If the prosecution can do their work properly without amending criminal charges filed against cases involving minor offences, why can they not adopt the same professional standards against a Chief Minister? Whether this is part of a political conspiracy by the prosecution out to get me, will be up to the court of public opinion to judge. I will still vigorously defend myself to prove my innocence in the court of law.
Lest we forget I am also cited for contempt of court by the Attorney-General. Even though the Kuala Lumpur High Court threw out this contempt charge, the Attorney-General has recently filed an appeal with the Court of Appeal.
LIM GUAN ENG
—-Mandarin–
槟城首席部长兼民主行动党秘书长林冠英于2018年1月14日 在吉隆坡发表声明：
阿都拉曼达兰不应该企图破坏我公正审判的权利，这证明针对我的贪污指控是第14届大选前夕的政治阴谋，他应该解释，为什么在我被提控1年半过后，检察司还在修改对我的控状？
首相署部长阿都拉曼达兰再一次进行“表演”，他暗指我刻意拖延贪污案件的审讯。这是不正确的。任何被告都有在法庭上自辩的宪赋基本权利，特别这是履行自然公义的基本原则，那就是人人都有受到公正审判的权利。
阿都拉曼是不是忘了？上诉庭的三位法官一致认同我的论点，那就是如果我在开审之前呈交抗辩书，那么我应有的公正审判权利将受到严重破坏。很明显地，这条宪赋条款是合法及重要的，并且获得联邦法院的裁定。
更重要的地，当这种贪污指控是针对一名积极终结全世界在位最久、长达61年的民主政府的反对党领袖兼槟州首长。因此，阿都拉曼达兰不应该企图破坏我公正审判的权利，这证明对我的贪污指控是第14届大选前夕的政治阴谋，他应该解释，为什么在我于2016年7月第一次被提控1年半过后，检察司还在修改对我的控状？
针对检察司提控我1年半过后，决定修改控状，我个人感到非常厌烦。虽然每一个检察司都有权利这么做，但是当他们在提控一名公众人物、也是槟城首长时，他们应该进行彻底的、专业的调查。
如果检察署可以在涉及未成年罪犯的审讯中不修改控状，正常地专业工作，为什么他们针对首长不能采取同样的专业标准？至于这究竟是不是检察司要置我于死地的政治阴谋？我交由公众去决定。我还是会竭尽所能地在法庭上自辩，以证明我的清白。
别忘了，我也被总检察长提告藐视法庭。虽然吉隆坡高庭最近撤销了上述控状，但最近总检察长已经在上诉庭提出上诉。
林冠英