Sabah Watergate' trial to go on in April, say lawyers for accused

KOTA KINABALU: The trial of a former state Water Department director and two others linked to the "Sabah Watergate" scandal will go on as scheduled at the Sessions Court here in April, their lawyers say.

This came after money-laundering charges were dropped against another individual implicated in the matter.

Lawyers for former director Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib, his wife Fauziah Ag Puit and former state Finance Ministry technical and engineering adviser Lim Lam Beng said the case involving their clients would continue as scheduled.

Lawyer Marcel Jude, who represents Mohd Tahir and Fauziah, declined however to comment on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) prosecutors' move to drop 142 money-laundering charges involving RM32mil against former department deputy director Teo Chee Kong, who was given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) by the Sessions Court on Friday (Feb 18).

Teo, however, was slapped with a punitive fine of RM30mil under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLATFPUAA) 2001.

Jude said his clients' trial should proceed without any delays.

"We are ready for the trial. This case is entering the seventh year since their arrest (in October 2016)... it is prejudicial to my clients to be put through such a long wait which is unjustified punishment.

"All their monies and properties have been seized and they have problems meeting living expenses, loan repayments and the like," he said when contacted Monday (Feb 21).

"We live in a democracy where the cornerstone of our jurisprudence is that everyone is innocent until proven guilty and yet the laws (under AMLATFPUAA) are an exception and inflict unjustified punishment on the accused when there is extreme delay in a trial, especially in this case," Jude added.

He said the Sessions Court had set the April 11-14, April 25-27, May 17-19, and June 13-16 as trial dates.

Lim, also a former state Water Department director, is represented by lawyer Zahir Shah.

Mohd Tahir was charged with 12 counts under Section 4 (1) (a) and Section 4 (1) (b) of the Act involving some RM60mil in cash and bank accounts.

Fauziah and Lim were each charged with 19 counts involving RM2.2mil and four counts involving RM2.38mil under Section 4 (1) (b).

They face a maximum of 15 years' jail and a fine not less than five times the amount or value of the proceeds from illegal activities or equipment, or RM5mil, whichever is higher, if convicted.

Sabah Law Society president Roger Chin on Sunday (Feb 20) urged the Attorney General's Chambers to explain why the case against Teo was dropped as it was a high-profile case and of public interest.