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Sabah Water Department scandal: Money, money, money everywhere!
Published on: Friday, June 23, 2023. By: Cynthia D Baga
Sabah Water Department scandal: Money, money, money everywhere!
What MACC officers found in Water Department office.
KOTA KINABALU: MACC officer told the Corruption Court hearing Sabah’s biggest scandal involving RM130 million that it was a shock to see so much money all over the place at the office, homes and cars of former State Water Department (JANS) Director Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib.
Describing it as “extraordinary,” Hishammudin Mohammed Esa said his team had first raided the JANS office in Wisma Muis on Oct. 4, 2016 and Ag Tahir was in.
“When arriving at his office, I introduced myself and showed my authority card to Ag Tahir. I informed the purpose of our coming to the office is to complete the search and asked him to cooperate and obey all instructions.
“I also informed him that any action to prevent, conceal or destroy any document is an offence punishable under section 48 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) 2009.
“I asked Ag Tahir to surrender all related documents and account books belonging to him, wife and children but he told me all the documents were at home. I instructed my team to start the search.
“At about 10.15am, one Tn Mohd Fadlan (one of the team) found some money inside a bag with label ‘Tahir’ and Mohd Fadlan showed it to me. I then asked Ag Tahir to take out the money and give it to us.
“After that, I instructed Mohd Fadlan and one Pn Ekasuziena to count the money while being observed by Ag Tahir and the total was RM62,500.
“At the same time I instructed Ekasuziena to prepare a list of movable property confiscation for the recovery of the money under Ag Tahir.
“After that, I instructed Ag Tahir to open the door behind his table. At first, he refused and I repeated him to do so.
“Ag Tahir then tried but failed and claimed he was not sure where the key of the door was. After trying all the keys, the door managed to be opened.
“Once the door opened, I asked Ag Tahir to show us where he kept the money. He then showed and opened the wide piece of cloth that covered the sofa in the room.
Under the cloth, were arranged a pile of RM100 and RM50 notes that filled the seat of the sofa.
“When I opened the cabinet in the room, it was full with money arranged and tied in the form of a bundle.
“After searching the room, we found almost all the bags in the pantry filled with money tied in bundles. Due to a lot of money, I asked for support team to help take pictures, counting money and seizure.
“At the same time, I instructed Ag Tahir to not allow any individual to enter his office other than MACC officers,” said Hishamuddin who was the raiding officer of the case.
Hishamuddin was reading his witness statement before Sessions Court Judge Abu Bakar Manat, in the trial of Ag Tahir, 58, Fauziah Piut, 55, and Lim Lam Beng, 66, on 37 counts of money laundering involving cash and bank savings amounting to RM61.57 million, as well as unlawful possession of luxury goods.
The team also seized 282 Singapore dollars, 46,200 Thai bath, nine handphones, three Ipads and a bag as well as four bank cards from Ag Tahir.
When the money transfer and arrangement process was made, Ag Tahir was there to observe and instructed all the MACC officers involved to not go out from the room without his permission.
On the same day, he received instructions that the process of confiscating the money at Ag Tahir’s office be expedited because the team needs to execute another search warrant at Ag Tahir’s house in Graceville Townhouse in Sembulan.
“However, I informed my superior the process cannot be done in a rush because it involved a lot of money.
“At that time, counting the money could not be done in Ag Tahir’s office because the space was not enough and uncomfortable, the money was not well organized, scattered and partially filled with dust. Some of the money has been too long and stuck and the rubber band has rotted and broken.
“Due to the reasons, I discussed with Ag Tahir and he agreed to do the process to arrange the money at MACC’s office.
“My team tied the money in bundles in front of Ag Tahir, put in six boxes and each box was sealed with MACC tape.
All the exhibits were brought to Sabah MACC’s office by six officers and later on the exhibits were kept inside a locked room,” said Hishamuddin who was Chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Public Integrity Management Division of MACC Putrajaya.
He further testified that at about 2.10pm the same day, they made a second raid at Ag Tahir’s house in Sembulan.
“When we arrived, there were two vehicles – a Mercedes CGI 250 and BMW 535 – parked at the house and his wife Fauziah was also there.
“We started the search from the third floor of the house and Ag Tahir told us where he kept the valuable things, money and account books as well as share certificates that he owned. All the things were kept inside safe boxes at a room on the third floor.
“There were three safe boxes inside Ag Tahir’s bedroom and I instructed him to open all. He told me he did not know the combination numbers and asked his wife to open it but only two safe boxes could be opened.
“We recovered money and jewellery as well as branded watches inside the two safe boxes.
“There was also money inside envelopes, 93 units of branded handbags, bank statements, bank accounts, various branded watches as well as foreign currency. All the exhibits we brought to the ground floor of the house.
“I asked another support team to process due to the recovery of a lot of money and other valuable things.
“After that we continued the search to the other two bedrooms at the second floor belonging to his son and daughter. We did not find any valuable or suspicious items inside the two rooms.
“Throughout the exhibit collection process, I asked Ag Tahir and his wife to observe the compilation process.
“We then continued the search in vehicles and we found some cash money inside the bonnet of two vehicles. The money that found inside the cars were separated with the money found from the house.
“My team also confiscated three handphones and two laptops from Fauziah,” said Hishamuddin.
According to Hishamuddin, the counting process of the money could not be done at Ag Tahir’s house due to the space, amount of money, jewellery and branded watches, the process to identify and label the jewellery.
He said Ag Tahir agreed the process be done at MACC’s office.
“The money were tied in bundles and kept inside four big travel bags and four bags of different sizes.
“For the jewellery and branded watches, we put it inside a bag and basket which was carried by Ag Tahir himself.
“All the exhibits including four luxury vehicles that were seized during the raid were brought to Sabah MACC’s office. We also seized the safe box that could not be opened and brought it to the office.
“The luxury vehicles namely Mercedes CGI250, Ford Ranger, BMW 535 and Mazda 6, were driven by four MACC officers.
“The exhibits were put inside a locked room together with the exhibits from Ag Tahir’s office.
They were two MACC officers placed in front of the locked room on a rotating basis every eight hours to secure the access to the room,” he said.
On the same day, Hishamuddin received instruction to raid another house belonging to Ag Tahir in Taman Kingfisher Sulaman.
“Before we moved to the house, Ag Tahir informed that his daughter and her husband were living there and there was a safe box there but never used the box.
Ag Tahir’s wife also informed me that she did not remember the combination number of the safe box.
“Upon arriving at the house, Ag Tahir asked the security guard to open the gate and his son-in-law also opened the door of the house.
“Fauziah brought us to the safe box and tried to open it few times but failed. I received instruction to bring the safe box to the MACC’s office.
“During the raid at the King Fisher house, we had seized three luxury vehicles namely Volvo, Range Rover and Audi.
“The safe box and the luxury vehicles were brought to MACC’s office,” he said.
Hishamuddin further testified that the list of confiscation of movable property for all exhibits that were found in Ag Tahir’s office, houses and vehicles had been prepared and at that time Ag Tahir refused to check in details the list of the seizure and only put his signature on the list.
On Oct 5, 2016, at 1.30am, Hishamuddin received instruction to arrest Ag Tahir and he immediately Ag Tahir ay 1.45am.
“I explained to Ag Tahir that he was arrested for committing an offence under Section 17(a) of MACC 2009 and instructed one officer to put Ag Tahir in Sabah MACC’s lockup.
“Meanwhile, Fauziah was sent home at 2am and all the MACC officers involved were instructed to call off and reminded to attend to office at 8am for further instruction and action.
“At 8.30am, I was instructed to bring Ag Tahir to Kota Kinabalu Magistrate’s court for remand application. The application was made by MACC Prosecuting Officer Mohd Faliq Basirun and the court granted the remand application which was from Oct 5 until Oct 10, 2016.
“After the remand application, I then started the recording statement from Ag Tahir at Sabah MACC’s office.
“At 3pm, I was instructed to bring all the exhibits that were seized from Ag Tahir to the meeting room of Sabah MACC’s office for press conference. During the press conference, all the exhibits were strictly guarded,” said Hishamuddin.
On Oct 8, 2016, Hishamuddin formed a small team for the purpose to send the exhibits to the Kota Kinabalu Bank Negara.
“The team consist of 10 MACC officers including me.
At 10.30am, we arrived at the Bank Negara and the Bank Negara instructed for all the exhibits to be kept in special storage room which prepared by Bank Negara.
“After all the exhibits moved into the room, the room was locked and there were five set of keys which kept by Investigating Officer Chin Chen Huat,” he said.
On Oct 10, 2016, Ag Tahir’s remand was extended for another five days.
On Dec 8, 2016, Hishamuddin based on instruction, took the gemstones, jewelleries, luxury watches and pens from the Bank Negara MACC exhibit storage room and placed them in two hand carry luggage which then sealed and fly to Kuala Lumpur and placed them in safe of the Kuala Lumpur MACC Director for exhibit evaluation process by exhibit appraiser, Siow Der Ming at the ground floor of the Kuala Lumpur MACC on the next day on Dec 9.
He said they then took all the items back to Kota Kinabalu on Dec 12, 2016 and put them back at the Bank Negara Kota Kinabalu.
Meanwhile, Rosnizam Mansor, 47, a photographer, said 10 raiding teams were formed for separate raid localities during the raid in Ag Tahir’s office and houses as well as other locations.
Rosnizam said that based on the work divisions for the assignments, he was placed at secretarial affairs to help investigation officer.
On the raiding day, he informed the court that he was assigned to assist team number eight to do the raid, to escort the delivery of exhibits to the MACC’s office and to take photos of the exhibits at one of the raiding locations which was at the said department’s office.
“I took photos of money inside wall cabinet, at TV cabinet at pantry, inside a black bag, on the couch, on the working table, foreign currencies notes and credit cards, these were inside the former director’s room at his office.
“I was also instructed to take photos of cash, jewellery, branded watches and handbags allegedly found at Ag Mohd Tahir’s house for visual records to be handed over to investigation officer later,” he said.
Rosnizam said that he was further assigned to store the exhibits at a room at the MACC’s office, to keep the room’s safe key and to report the matters to operation coordinator officer.
He also said in his witness statement that he was assigned to assist in taking photos of seven seized cars which at that time were parked at the basement space of the MACC’s office.
On December 20, 2016, he was instructed to prepare a photography report.
Apart from that, Rosnizam further said that he was also instructed to prepare a photography report for six seized cars which involved in this case namely Audi, Volvo, Mazda, Ford Ranger, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota Land Cruiser.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Zander Lim, DPP Mahadi Abdul Jumaat and DPP Haresh Prakash Somiah conducted the prosecution while Lim was defended by Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, Baldev Singh, Karpaljit Singh and Aaron Lau and counsel Priskila Akwila Sinem defended Ag Tahir and Fauziah.
