Kota Kinabalu: The brother of former State Water Department director Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib, who is charged together with two others on multiple money laundering charges, told the Sessions Court on Friday that he had obtained projects from the Chief Minister’s Department during his involvement in politics.
Defence 15th witness Ag Muslim Mohd Talib, 56, a retired government schoolteacher, who testified before Sessions Court Judge Abu Bakar Manat during examination-in-chief by Ag Mohd Tahir’s counsel, stated in his witness statement that he had been involved in politics and was a member of the Umno Kimanis Division.
He joined Umno as an ordinary member in 1991 and became actively involved in the party from 2008 onwards.
He served as treasurer of the Umno Kimanis Division from 2010 to 2012.
During his tenure as treasurer, Muslim said the Umno Kimanis division chief was Tan Sri Anifah Aman, who was then the Foreign Minister, while the Chief Minister of Sabah was Tun Musa Aman.
Muslim testified that he had obtained projects during his political involvement, including projects from the Chief Minister’s Department.
He said he secured the projects with the support of the Umno division.
He also told the court that he had helped a family member obtain a project from the Chief Minister’s Department by introducing his younger brother, Ag Fauzi, to an officer there who knew him as a strong Umno Kimanis Division leader.
After the introduction, Ag Fauzi handled the subsequent matters on his own, he said.
However, Muslim said he had never obtained any project from his elder brother, Ag Mohd Tahir, despite the latter having previously served as director of the Sabah State Water Department (JANS).
He further testified that he had received political contributions or donations for Umno Kimanis Division from Ag Mohd Tahir while serving as the division’s treasurer, adding that the donations were for political purposes.
Earlier, Muslim, the younger brother of the first accused Ag Mohd Tahir, told the court that he had come to give evidence in relation to his brother’s case.
During cross-examination by Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Haresh Prakash Somiah, Muslim agreed that between 2010 and 2012, while serving as treasurer of the Umno Kimanis Division, he had the authority to issue receipts whenever the division received contributions or donations.
Asked during re-examination by Ag Mohd Tahir’s counsel why he agreed to this, Muslim explained that as treasurer, it was his duty to issue receipts for any contributions or donations received by the division.
Haresh pointed out that Muslim’s witness statement did not specify how many times Ag Mohd Tahir had made contributions to Umno Kimanis Division during his tenure as treasurer, to which Muslim agreed.
He also confirmed that he had never stated the total amount of contributions given by Ag Mohd Tahir while he held the post.
Haresh further noted that Muslim had not produced any receipts to show contributions or donations from Ag Mohd Tahir to Umno Kimanis Division during his time as treasurer.
During re-examination, Muslim said he could not recall the number of contributions made by his brother, explaining that the contributions were given on the basis of trust between siblings and family members, without issuing receipts.
He confirmed that for the first contribution, there had been an oral discussion about issuing a receipt, but they agreed that no receipt was necessary.
When asked whether he knew when Ag Mohd Tahir was arrested by the MACC, Muslim said he could not remember and was unsure when prompted with the year 2016.
He also confirmed that, according to his witness statement, he had never informed the MACC after his brother’s arrest, explaining during re-examination that he had never previously been questioned by the commission.
Meanwhile, during cross-examination by DPP Mahadi Abdul Jumaat, Muslim said he was the seventh of ten siblings and agreed that the family had been affected by the charges against his brother.
He also agreed with the prosecution’s suggestion that he was willing to do anything to help his brother and sister-in-law in their defence.
Mahadi questioned Muslim about the projects he claimed to have received from the Chief Minister’s Department.
Muslim agreed that he had no detailed information or supporting documents regarding the projects, explaining during re-examination that they had been completed long ago and that the relevant documents and details could no longer be traced.
When Mahadi suggested that Muslim’s testimony would be more credible if supporting documents were available, Muslim agreed and said the documents might have helped substantiate his claims.
Mahadi also questioned him on the role of his brother Ag Fauzi, who between 2006 and 2016 carried out projects for the Sabah State Water Department independently of Muslim.
Muslim said he did not know and added that he had no knowledge of the wealth accumulated by Ag Fauzi from those projects, or whether they were carried out while Ag Mohd Tahir was director of JANS.
Muslim was the final defence witness called in the trial. Counsel for Ag Mohd Tahir then informed the court that the defence had closed its case after calling its final witness, Ag Muslim Mohd Talib, the 15th defence witness.
