KOTA KINABALU: The Special Corruption Court here fixed Sept 18 for ruling on whether former Sabah water department director Ag Tahir Ag Talib and two others will be required to enter their defence over money laundering charges involving millions of ringgit.
Sessions Court judge Abu Bakar Manat fixed the date after the prosecution closed its case yesterday with 46 witnesses.
The court also made an order that written submission be filed simultaneously by July 29, and submission in reply by Aug 16. Any clarification by way of oral submission in open court is fixed on Sept 3.
According to the prosecution, if the court found a prima facie case had been established against the trio, the prosecution would offer 38 witnesses.
Ag Tahir, his wife Fauziah Piut, and the department's former deputy director, Lim Lam Beng, were jointly tried for alleged money laundering offences involving cash, bank savings and an alleged unlawful possession of luxurious items between October and November 2016.
Ag Tahir faces 11 charges while Fauziah faces 19 charges under Section 4 (1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLATFPUA) 2001.
Fauziah has another two joint charges with Ag Tahir under Section 4 (1)(b) also of the same Act and Ag Mohd Tahir has another charge under Section 4(1)(a) of the same Act.
The alleged offences against Ag Tahir and his spouse were committed at an office here, a house in Sembulan, at bank branches, at a condominium, in Sulaman and a tower in Kuala Lumpur between Oct 4 and Nov 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 Oct 13 and Nov 8, 2016.
This case was first brought to court in 2016, with four accused persons jointly charged.
However, the department's former deputy director, Teo Chee Kong, was acquitted of all 146 money-laundering charges and later became the prosecution's star witness.