Sabah Water Dept corruption trial: I’m not mastermind in creating standard price, says star witness

KOTA KINABALU, April 12 — The corruption trial of the State Water Department heard today that a star witness has testified that he was not the mastermind behind standard price set by the department as he only followed instruction to prepare the physical standard price but not the one who created it.

Teo Chee Kong, 57, who was testifying before judge Abu Bakar Manat, said that former director of the department, Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib, 59, was allegedly behind the standard price set by the department (for pipe fitting, maintenance and relating works).

“I just followed the instruction from the director, he was the boss. I’m not the mastermind in creating this standard price,” he testified under re-cross examination by deputy public prosecutor Mahadi Abdul Jumaat.

To a question, Teo, who had previously agreed to a suggestion that in determining the standard price it did not involve only two or three persons from the department, explained that it was because one meeting was held on April 7, 2005 which was chaired by the director of the department at that time.

“The director was the chairman during the meeting, attended by the director himself, deputy director, quantity surveyors, chief engineer, chief finance and division engineers in order to approve the standard price,” he further explained.

The witness also testified that the standard price book was made for use throughout Sabah.

Before becoming a witness for the prosecution, Teo was previously 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), both of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 and Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLATFPUA) 2001.

The first 78 charges accused Teo of possessing the lands obtained from illegal activities through 78 transactions of transferring ownership worth RM12,705,203.70.

The other 68 counts accused Teo of possessing cash amounting to RM7,930,810.48 (5,952,050 of Malaysian Ringgit and RM1,978,760.48 from foreign currency) and also cash of RM12,287,240.07 at financial institutions.

The charges stated that Teo had committed the alleged offences at separate locations at land district offices and bank branches here, in Penampang and Beaufort between 2005 and 2016.

Teo was first charged in court in December 2017.

Then after several appeals to the High Court and Court of Appeal and also submitting representations to the deputy public prosecutor’s office, it was reported that on March 17, 2022, Teo was finally cleared from all the said charges and he had fully paid RM30 million compound under Section 92 (1) of the AMLATFPUA 2001.

It was also reported that an application related to the lands belonged Teo was withdrawn, whereas on the overseas properties that were granted restriction orders on October 19 and December 13, both in 2017, had been revoked with immediate effect and a similar order was also made on the forfeiture of property on Teo’s bank accounts.

For this trial, Ag Mohd Tahir, his wife Fauziah Hj Piut, 57, and former deputy director Lim Lam Beng @ Lim Chee Hong, 68, were tried for alleged money laundering offences involving cash and huge amount of bank savings as well as unlawful possession of luxury goods.

Ag Mohd Tahir is facing 11 charges and Fauziah faces 19 charges under Section 4 (1)(b) of the AMLATFPUA 2001.

Apart from that Fauziah has another two joint charges with Ag Mohd Tahir under Section 4 (1)(b) also of the same Act and Ag Tahir also has another charge under Section 4(1)(a) of the same Act.

The alleged offences against Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah were committed at his office here, a house in Sembulan, at bank branches, at a condominium, in Sulaman and a tower in Kuala Lumpur between October 4 and November 4, 2016.

Lim was alleged to have committed the offences at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission office at Jalan UMS and at a house here between October 13 and November 8, 2016.

Deputy public prosecutors Haresh Prakash Somiah and Zander Lim also handled the trial.

Counsel Priskila Akwila Sinem and Mohammed Fareez Mohammed Salleh represented Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah.

Counsel Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, Baldev Singh, Karpaljit Singh and Kelvin Wong defended Lim.

Holding a watching brief for Teo was counsel Chen Wen Jye.

The trial will resume on Thursday (April 13).

Sources : Borneo Post