Sabah Water Dept scandal: Mar 20 decision on MACC's application for joint trial

KOTA KINABALU: The High Court here today fixed Mar 20 for decision on an application by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for a joint hearing of money laundering cases involving former Sabah Water Department (JANS) deputy director Teo Chee Kong, its former director and his wife, and another former deputy director.
Judge Datuk Nurchaya Arshad also set the same day to decide on a notice of motion for the production of footage from a closed-circuit camera recording, the lockup registration book and related documents during the remand process filed by Teo, 52, which had been dismissed by sessions court judge Abu Bakar Manat.
Nurcahaya fixed the date after lawyers representing Teo objected to the MACC's application for the joint trial.
MACC was represented by deputy public prosecutor Tengku Amir Zaki Tengku Abdul Rahman at today's proceeding, while lawyers Roland Cheng, Nelson Anggang and Ram Singh represented Teo.
Teo faces 146 counts of money laundering, involving more than RM32 million, allegedly committed through the abuse of power in the implementation of federal-funded projects by the Sabah Water Department between 2010 and 2016.
78 of the charges were framed under Section 4 (1) (a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001, for possession of 70 pieces of land obtained through unlawful activities through 78 transactions, involving RM12,705,203.
The remaining 68 charges were made under Section 4 (1) (b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001; six of them were for possession of cash of RM7,930,810 and the others, involving RM12,287,240, in bank accounts in eight financial institutions.
Former JANS director Awang Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib, 54, his wife, Fauziah Piut, 51, and another former JANS deputy director, Lim Lam Beng, 62, had pleaded not guilty to 37 counts of money laundering, involving RM61.57 million. — Bernama