Former Director received RM51 million bribes: Witness
Published on: Thursday, May 16, 2024
By: Jo Ann Mool
Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah are facing 37 counts of money-laundering charges, involving cash and bank savings amounting to RM61.57 million, as well as unlawful possession of luxury goods.
Kota Kinabalu: A prosecution witness testified at the Special Corruption Court Wednesday that former Sabah Water Department Director Awang Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib received bribes amounting to RM51,710,755.09 from 2005 to 2016.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) assistant commissioner Abdullah Sani A. Latib, 38, in his witness statement, stated that based on the investigation on Teo Chee Kong (Kota Kinabalu divisional water engineer at that time) and the supporting documents that were seized, Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib received bribes amounting to RM51,710,755.09 from 2005 to 2016, involving allocations totalling RM2,154,614,795.59 for the same period.
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He said it was found that based on the investigation against Teo (prosecution’s 29th witness) and the supporting document - the HQ list seized from Teo, Ag Mohd Tahir received bribes handed over and recorded by Teo in a document titled HQ List table.
Abdullah said Teo had recorded the payment of bribes received based on the job code which was PJA referring to the Director of the Water Department.
Currently Head of the Integrity and Governance Department at the Communications and Multimedia Commission, Abdullah was the prosecution’s 46th witness in the joint trial of Ag Mohd Tahir, 61, his wife Fauziah Piut, 58, and former Water Department Deputy Director Lim Lam Beng, 69.
Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah are facing 37 counts of money-laundering charges, involving cash and bank savings amounting to RM61.57 million, as well as unlawful possession of luxury goods.
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Ag Mohd Tahir faces 11 charges while Fauziah faces 19 charges under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLATFPUA) 2001.
Fauziah has another two joint charges with Ag Mohd Tahir under Section 4(1)(b) of the same Act and Ag Mohd Tahir also has one charge under Section 4(1)(a) of the same Act.
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The offences against Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah were allegedly committed between Oct 4, 2016 and Nov 4, the same year.
Lim is facing four counts of having a Land Cruiser, cash of RM200,000, RM1,900,000 and RM280,000 from proceeds of unlawful activities on Oct 13, Oct 22, Nov 7 and Nov 8, 2016.
On Dec 29, 2016, the three pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Testifying before Judge Abu Bakar Manat, Abdullah said based on all the witness statements and documents, there was evidence to show that there was a violation of Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 that Ag Mohd Tahir, as public officer, had allegedly used his position or position as Director of JANS by approving the authority to spend allocations and instructing Teo to collect bribes from contractors at the Sabah State Water Department; in return, Ag Mohd Tahir accepted bribes from Teo and Micheal Wong for himself.
Teo was also the department’s deputy director after Lim.
There was also a violation of Section 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorist Financing and Proceeds from Illegal Activities Act 2001, namely Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah Piut possessed properties as accused through illegal activities, namely the collection of bribes from contractors in the State Water Department and misappropriation power, stated the witness.
On Ag Mohd Tahir, the witness stated that an investigation into employment records and income tax payment records showed Ag Mohd Tahir did not have any source of business income other than employment as the Director of the State Water Department.
The investigation also found that Ag Mohd Tahir, as a public servant, never applied for or was given approval to run a business during the entire period he worked at the State Water Department.
Investigations into the Deputy Director, former Deputy Director, Divisional Engineer, District Engineer and project contractor at the State Water Department found that Ag Mohd Tahir accepted bribes from project contractors at the State Water Department, stated Abdullah.
On Fauziah Piut, the witness stated that investigations on employment records, EPF contribution records and income tax payment records showed Fauziah did not have any other source of income or side income such as a registered business other than the last employment in 2014;
That money worth millions of ringgit in a bank account whose source failed to be proven by Fauziah;
Jewellery items such as gold, diamond stones and branded women’s handbags found in the house and in the bedroom occupied by Fauziah and Ag Mohd Tahir were found in the open and impossible not to be known and noticed by her.
Abdullah further stated that when the raid was carried out by the MACC raiding team, Fauziah led the way and had also opened the safe, which clearly showed that she had knowledge and control over all the high-value jewellery that were found and confiscated;
And that the high-value jewellery that were found and confiscated belonged to Fauziah Piut as the only female resident of the house, said Abdullah.
To a question by the prosecution, Abdullah said another predicate offence that Ag Mohd Tahir was found to have committed is under Section 17A of the MACC Act because he accepted bribes in return from contractors for approving warrants for the allocation of projects at the State Water Department throughout the State and
Section 165 of the Penal Code because he received valuable goods without compensation from contractors who have an official relationship with him as Director of the Water Department.
The witness was earlier referred with bundles of documents for identification and marking as evidence.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Mahadi Abdul Jumaat and Haresh Prakash Somiah acted for the prosecution while counsel Priskila Akwila Sinem represented Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah.
Lim was also represented by counsel Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, Baldev Singh, Karpaljit Singh and Kelvin Wong .
Trial continues.
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