KOTA KINABALU: At the Sessions Court here yesterday, a senior superintendent of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) from Putrajaya testified that one of the accused, Lim Lam Beng, had voluntarily handed out a total of RM2,380,000 in cash to the MACC.
Glenn Lores was the second witness to testify before Sessions Court judge Abu Bakar Manat yesterday in the trial of the ex-director of Sabah Water Department (JANS), his former deputy and two others, who were each charged under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities (AMLATFAPUA) Act 2001.
During cross-examination by counsel Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, for Lim Lam Beng, Glenn told the court that he was only an assistant investigating officer in the case and had prepared the lists of items seized from Lim.
To another question from Tan, Glen agreed that the money, which was seized at the MACC office here, was handed over voluntarily to MACC within 17 days from Oct 22 until Nov 8, 2016.
Glen also disagreed to a question from Tan that he was the one who ordered Lim to withdraw the cash from the bank and to hand them over to the MACC, claiming that he only made the seizure and did not know who gave the said order to Lim.
Tan also suggested that there must have been an order from the MACC to Lim to hand over the money to MACC as his client, Lim, would not have done so willingly, which Glenn agreed.
To another question from Tan, Glenn also agreed that the money was not seized by the MACC at Lim’s house, office, car or from his body.
Glenn also agreed with Tan that normally movable properties that were seized by the MACC were made after a search, such as at a house, working place, car or from his body and that of Lim handing over the cash money to MACC was not a common practice. However, Glenn said the practice also depended on the case as some cases are different from the another.
Meanwhile, a third witness, Masyanti Main, who is assistant superintendent of MACC from Putrajaya, testified that she was the one who prepared the complaint form against Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talip, which stated that he was involved in money laundering activity through receiving bribes money involving projects in JANS (Sabah Water Department).
The complaint was made for an investigation under the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2001, Masyanti stated.
Ag Mohd Tahir, 55, Teo Chee Kong, 52, together with Ag Tahir’s wife, Fauziah Ag Piut, 52, and Lim Lam Beng @ Lim Chee Hong, 63, were jointly tried before a Corruption Court judge on the second day of trial yesterday.
Ag Mohd Tahir, Fauziah and Lim had pleaded not guilty to the money laundering charges involving cash and bank savings amounting to RM61.48 million, as well as unlawful possession of luxury goods.
Ag Mohd Tahir faces 11 charges framed under Section 4 (1)(b) of the AMLATFAPUA Act 2001, while Fauziah and Lim were each charged with 19 and four charges respectively, under the same Act.
Apart from that, Ag Mohd Tahir was also charged under Section 4(1)(a) of the same Act plus another two joint charges with his wife under Section 4 (1)(b) also of the same Act.
The alleged offences by Ag Mohd Tahir and his wife were allegedly committed at the former Water Department director’s office here, at Graceville Townhouse in Sembulan, at OCBC, UOB, Bank Islam, CIMB, Bank Rakyat here, at Puncak Luyang Condo here, at Kingfisher Sulaman and at PNB Tower in Kuala Lumpur between Oct 4 and Nov 4, 2016.
Lim was alleged to have committed the offences at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office along Jalan UMS and at a house along Jalan Penempatan here between October 13 and November 8, 2016.
Meanwhile, Teo was accused of possessing 70 pieces of land and cash allegedly obtained from illegal activities. All his charges were framed under Sections 4 (1) (a) and 4 (1) (b) of the same Act.
The first 78 charges alleged Teo of possessing the pieces of land obtained from illegal activities through 78 transactions of transferring land ownership worth RM12,705,203.70.
The other 68 counts alleged Teo of possessing cash amounting to RM7,930,810.48, of which RM5,952,050.00 were in Malaysian Ringgit and RM1,978,760.48 in foreign currencies, and also cash of RM12,287,240.07 in several financial institutions.
The charges stated that Teo had committed the alleged offences at the district offices and bank branches here, Penampang and Beaufort between 2005 and 2016.
Ag Mohd Tahir and his wife are currently released on bail of RM5 million and RM1 million respectively, with RM2 million and RM500,000 deposited, while Teo was granted RM1.5 million bail with RM500,000 to be deposited with two local sureties, pending disposal of their cases.
The trial will resume on May 21–25, and on June 4–7, July 30–31, August 1–2, September 3–6, 18–20 and October 1–4 this year.
Deputy public prosecutors, Tengku Amir Zaki Tengku Abdul Rahman, Mohd Farez Rahman, Mahadi Abdul Jumaat and Rozana Abd Hadi appeared for the prosecution.
Counsels Marcel Jude Joseph and Nurul Rafeeqa Afdul Mutolip represented Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah, while Tan, Baldev Singh, Karpaljit Singh and Zahir Shah represented Lim. Teo was represented by counsels Roland Cheng, Ram Singh and Nelson W Angang.