Former Valuation and Property Services Department senior valuer Zakariya Nayan and valuer Nurul Asshima Aminullah told the court that they were responsible for the valuations.
Zakariya told the Sessions Court that his valuation of RM50mil for Lot 702 was based on the market value of RM3,360 per square metre for freehold land in 2014. During a cross-examination by Lim's lawyer Haijan Omar, Zakariya agreed that the land value was far less than the development done by the developer, which was estimated at RM138mil.
Nurul Asshima also agreed that Lot 713’s initial value was less than what was spent by the developer, which was estimated at RM73mil.When asked, both Zakariya and Nurul Asshima said they were not aware that the two plots of land were to be exchanged as part of a payment to Consortium Zenith-BUCG Sdn Bhd, which was awarded the undersea tunnel project.
He suggested that the court invoke Section 264 of the Criminal Procedure Code that allows the dispensing of an accused presence for the trial.