Kota Kinabalu: Former Sabah Water Department Deputy Director Lim Lam Beng (pic) told the Special Corruption Court Tuesday that he brought former Kota Kinabalu Divisional Water Engineer Teo Chee Kong to meet then Infrastructure and Development Minister Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah solely for coordination on water supply matters.
He said the purpose was to ensure smooth communication between Teo and the Minister, and for the Minister to receive first-hand updates should any water supply issues arise in the Kota Kinabalu Division.
“Nothing more than that,” he said during cross-examination by Deputy Public Prosecutor Haresh (DPP) Prakash Somiah, who referred to Lim’s earlier testimony in examination-in-chief regarding the meeting.
DPP: In your testimony, you said you brought Teo to introduce him to the Minister for smooth communication. Do you remember?
Lim: Yes.
DPP: It was you who arranged the meeting between Datuk Raymond Tan and Teo Chee Kong?
Lim: I brought Teo to see Datuk Raymond Tan to have a close communication for the purpose of solving Kota Kinabalu water supply matters so that the Minister will have first-hand information if water supplies problem in KK Division arises. Nothing more than that.
DPP: At that time, Datuk Raymond Tan was the Infrastructure and Development Minister?
Lim: Yes.
DPP: Do you know whether Tan Sri Pairin was ever the Infrastructure and Development Minister?
Lim: Yes.
Lim said he could not recall whether Tan Sri Pairin held the post before or after Datuk Raymond Tan.
Lim, 71, a retiree, also told Judge Abu Bakar Manat that investigation officer Mohd Yussof did not ask him about the source of the monies forming the subject of the three charges he faces, namely RM1.9 million, RM200,000 and RM280,000.
“Instead, he just asked me to withdraw the money to hand over to MACC and promised me that no action would be taken against me by MACC,” Lim said, disagreeing with the prosecution’s suggestion.
On his StarHub shares in Singapore, DPP Haresh suggested that Lim had yet to produce any proof of when the shares were acquired.
DPP: Am I right to say you have not adduced any documents to show when your StarHub shares were purchased?
Lim: So far, no.
The DPP further noted that Lim had only now revealed that he had received contributions totalling nearly SGD700,000 from his father and father-in-law when he first began trading shares.
DPP: You agree this forms a crucial part of your defence?
Lim: Yes.
DPP: And this is the first time we are hearing these facts after you testified?
Lim: Yes.
Lim also confirmed his earlier claim that he had bought shares at low prices during the 1998 global financial crisis and again during the 2008 financial crisis, and sold them after the market recovered.
He said he purchased shares at low prices in 1998 and gradually sold them in 1999.
Similarly, he bought shares in 2008 and gradually disposed of them when the market recovered in 2009 onwards.
DPP: At that time, 2008 and 2009, you were already the Deputy Director (Timbalan JANS)?
Lim: Yes.
DPP: These shares that you sold from 2009 onwards at high prices were never declared by you to JANS?
Lim: Yes.
DPP: You also have not stated what types of shares you bought at low prices and sold at high prices?
Lim: So far, no.
Lim agreed it was the first time the court was hearing this information.
Lim is jointly tried with former Sabah Water Department Director Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib 63, (first accused) and Ag Mohd Tahir’s wife, Fauziah Piut, 59 (second accused), who are facing multiple money laundering charges.
Lim, the third accused, faced four counts of having a Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle, cash of RM200,000, RM1,900,000 and RM280,000 alleged to be proceeds of unlawful activities as framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
The offences were allegedly committed on Oct 13, Oct 22, Nov 7 and Nov 8, 2016 here.
Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah, meanwhile, are facing 33 counts of money laundering involving RM61.57 million in cash and bank savings, as well as unlawful possession of luxury goods.
Ag Mohd Tahir faces 11 charges under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLATFPUA) 2001 and one charge under Section 4(1)(a) of the same Act.
Fauziah faces 19 charges under Section 4 (1)(b) of the same Act.
Both also faces two joint charges under Section 4 (1)(b) of the same Act.
The offences were allegedly committed at separate locations, among others, at an office in Kota Kinabalu, a house in Sembulan, at several bank branches, between Oct 4 and Nov 4, 2016.
Lim was represented by counsel Datuk Tan Hock Chuan and Baldev Singh, while Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah were represented by counsel Datuk Ansari Abdullah.
Together with Haresh is DPP Mahadi Abdul Jumaat.
Trial continues.
