KOTA KINABALU: The Special Corruption Court today heard that piles of cash were found inside a room with a "Go Away" signage on the door knob in the office of the former Sabah Water Department (JANS) director Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib.
Testifying before Sessions Court judge Abu Bakar, the head of raiding team number eight Hishammudin Mohammed Esa, 49, said Ag Tahir was initially reluctant to open the door, which was just behind his office table.
"The door had a sign saying "Go Away" and Ag Tahir was initially reluctant to open the door but I had asked him once again to open the said door.
"Ag Tahir had tried to open the door but failed and said that he was not sure, where the key was. I asked him to try all the keys on his desk and finally managed to open the said door.
"After the door room was successfully opened, I asked Ag Tahir to show me where he kept his money. He opened a wide cloth covering a couch in the room and underneath the cloth were piles of RM100 and RM50 notes.
"I asked Ag Tahir to show me where else he kept the money and he said there was no other money he kept. I then opened the cabinet in the room and found it filled with money which was already organised and tied in a bundle," he said.
Hishammudin said he instructed Ag Tahir's secretary not to allow anyone to enter Ag Tahir's office other than the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers.
The witness further instructed his team member to ransack a pantry in the said room and the team also found almost all bags in the pantry filled with money tied in bundles.
He had also asked for assistance and a support team to help in matters of taking photos, counting money, and seizing items.
"Money and several items also found in Ag Tahir's black bag written Tahir.
"I also asked Ag Tahir to see all movement of money from the pantry to his office space to organise and count the money," he added.
The witness further testified that his team had to expedite their tasks because they needed to raid Ag Tahir's house.
However, the witness said that his team could not make it fast because the money found was too much.
"Money could not be counted at Ag Tahir's office because there was not enough space, there were too many bills and they were not organised. The office was covered with dust and there were too many visitors or customers outside Ag Tahir's office," said Hishammudin, adding that Ag Tahir had agreed that the counting of the money would be done at the MACC's office.
The witness also testified that at Ag Tahir's house, his team found money, jewellery, personal documents, various brands of handbags and wristwatches.
The witness added that money was also found inside the bonnets of two cars parked in front of Ag Tahir's house.
Hishammudin also testified that apart from the said items, they also seized four Ag Tahir's cars.
The witness explained that their next raid location was Ag Tahir's another house and at the house, the team found three safety boxes but Ag Tahir did not know the combination numbers. Two of the safety boxes were opened by his wife.
The witness said he had received an instruction to arrest Ag Tahir and the team was called off from their assignment at 2am.
Meanwhile, another witness testified that 10 raiding teams were formed after the MACC received a bribery complaint involving the former JANS director.
Rosnizam Mansor, 47, said he had attended the "Ops Water" briefing held on Oct 3, 2016.
"Ten raiding teams were formed for raiding and witness tracking in several locations such as at JANS office, Ag Tahir's house, and several companies," he said, adding that the raid operation was conducted the next day on Oct 4, 2016.
Rosnizam said he was assigned under "Pasukan Urus Setia" at the Sabah MACC Office to assist the investigating officer of the case to record statements.On the raiding day, Rosnizam said the Operations Coordinating officer Datuk Mohamad Zamri instructed him to help the raid team number eight, led by Hishammudin at JANS
office, to implement the raid, escort the delivery of the confiscated items to the Sabah MACC office and to take photos of exhibits at the JANS office.
While at JANS office, Roznizam said he had taken photos of Ag Tahir's room and cash, which were found in various places inside his room.
"I took photos of money inside a wall cabinet, a TV cabinet in the pantry, inside a black bag, on the couch, on the working table, foreign currencies notes and credit cards – all these were inside the Ag Tahir's room at his office.
"I was also instructed to take photos of cash, jewellery, wristwatches, and handbags allegedly found at Ag Tahir's house for visual records to be handed over to the investigation officer later," he said.
Rosnizam further testified that after completing the raiding operation at Ag Tahir's office, he was assigned to form and head a safety control team to send the cash money to the MACC's office, which will be escorted by a safety team.
He said all cash found at Ag Tahir's office was put inside boxes and those boxes were sealed with adhesive tapes.
"We departed from Ag Tahir's office and headed for the MACC office in two vehicles – Alza and Toyota Vios.
"The Alza was carrying four boxes of money and the car was driven by me, escorted by two personnel. The Toyota Vios car was carrying two boxes of money with one driver and was escorted by one personnel," explained Rosnizam.
He added that his raiding team chief instructed him to store the exhibits in a room at the MACC's office, to keep the room's safe key, and to report the matter to the operation coordinator officer.
He added that he was assigned to assist in taking photos of seven seized cars, which at that time were parked in the basement of the MACC office.
Rosnizam further testified that on Dec 20, 2016, he was instructed to prepare a photography report.
"I was also instructed to prepare a photography report for six seized cars involved in Ag Tahir's case namely Audi, Volvo, Mazda, Ford Ranger, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota Land Cruiser, and one vehicle for Lim Lam Beng (the department's former deputy director), namely Toyota Land Cruiser.
On trial were Ag Tahir, his wife Fauziah Piut, and Lim. They were jointly tried on 37 counts of money laundering charges involving cash and bank savings of RM61.57 million, as well as unlawful possession of luxury goods.
The offences were allegedly committed between October and November, 2016.
Counsel Priskila Sinem and Mohammed Fareez Mohammed Salleh represented Ag Tahir and Fauziah, and Lim was represented by Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, Baldev Singh, Karpaljit Singh and Calvin Wong.
Deputy public prosecutors Mahadi Abdul Jumaat, Haresh Prakash Somiah and Zander Lim prosecuted.
Trial continues.