Trial put off over defence request
Published on: Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Published on: Wed, Apr 30, 2025
By: Jo Ann Mool Text Size: 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. Kota Kinabalu: The defence hearing for two former senior officers of the State Water Department and one of their wives, facing multiple money laundering charges, has been adjourned to Wednesday. Special Corruption Court Judge Abu Bakar Manat adjourned the matter after the defence counsel of first accused former Water Department director Ag Mohd Tahir insisted that the cautioned statements of Ag Mohd Tahir taken on Oct 15, 2016 be supplied to them before the defence can proceed. Tuesday was fixed for the commencement of the defence of the accused - Ag Mohd Tahir, 62, his wife, Fauziah Piut, 59, and former State Water Department deputy director Lim Lam Beng, 70. On Dec 4, 2024, the trio were ordered to enter their defence, with Ag Mohd Tahir and Lim opting to give sworn evidence from the witness box, while Fauziah would deliver an unsworn statement from the dock. Ag Mohd Tahir and his wife Fauziah Piut, as the first and second accused, are facing 33 counts of money laundering charges, involving cash and bank savings amounting to RM61.57 million, 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 Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah have another two joint charges under Section 4 (1)(b) of the same Act. The offences against Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah 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 facing four counts of having a Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle, cash of RM200,000, RM1,900,000 and RM280,000 from proceeds of unlawful activities as framed under Section 4 (1)(b) of the same Act. The offences allegedly committed on Oct 13, Oct 22, Nov 7 and Nov 8, 2016 here. Earlier in Tuesday's proceedings, counsel Datuk Ansari Abdullah, representing Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah, informed the court that the defence needed to satisfy themselves that the draft of Ag Mohd Tahir's witness statement did not contradict his cautioned statement made in October 2016. The court ordered bail extended to all the accused. Together with Ansari Abdullah is counsel Erveana Ansari in representing Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah while counsel Datuk Tan Hock Chuan and Baldev Singh represented Lim. Deputy Public Prosecutors Mahadi Abdul Jumaat and Haresh Prakash Somiah appeared for the prosecution. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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