Kota Kinabalu: A woman who said she was a “close friend” of former Sabah Water Department Director Ag Mohd Tahir Ag Mohd Talib told the Special Corruption Court, Tuesday, that he paid half her condo’s price in cash as well as for its renovation.
Christine Fiona M Ponsoi, 36, who was the prosecution’s ninth witness, said during examination-in-chief by Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Mahadi Abdul Jumaat that she purchased a condominium unit in Puncak Luyang in 2014 worth RM530,000 and took a bank loan of RM250,000 for a period of 35 years.
She told Judge Abu Bakar that Ag Mohd Tahir gave her RM280,000 cash in an envelope as payment for the balance of the unit price.
She said the renovation expenses of the unit worth RM300,000 were also paid in cash by Ag Mohd Tahir in a similar way, which she paid to an interior design company.
She further said that Ag Mohd Tahir also gave cash between RM2,000 and RM10,000 but not every month for the payment of the unit such as monthly instalments, which was RM1,500 a month and management fee.
She said she stayed at the said unit since two to three years ago.
On trial are Ag Mohd Tahir, his wife Fauziah Piut and former deputy director Lim Lam Beng.
Ag Mohd Tahir, 58, and Fauziah, 55, along with Lim, 66, had on Dec 29, 2016 pleaded not guilty to 37 counts of money laundering, involving RM61.57million.
Christine knew Mohd Tahir since 2003 when she worked part-time at the Golf Driving Range Likas which Ag Mohd Tahir patronised.
She said Ag Mohd Tahir was the Deputy Director then and was later promoted as Director.
Christine, who works as an officer in a firm here, said she and Ag Mohd Tahir have been “close friends until now” and that she knew he is married and has children.
In 2015, Ag Mohd Tahir used her name to buy a Toyota Lexus vehicle.
When referred by the prosecution on the seizure of RM14,000 cash from her condominium unit, Christine said the money was seized by the MACC officer in October 2016.
She said the money was given by Ag Mohd Tahir as an expense to manage the condominium unit and car. She met Ag Mohd Tahir at the condominium after she returned from holiday and he gave her the money.
The witness also told the court that the vehicle’s grant was kept by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) which was taken from her in 2016, but the vehicle is still with her.
Asked why the assets and cash in large amounts were given to her, Christine said:
“The cash given (to me) was for the household expenses…maybe it’s based on friendship and which has a trust element as he knew I wanted to buy a house.”
When pressed further, she replied that they were given to her as a gift and for his sense of responsibility to her.
Earlier, the prosecution’s eighth witness Datuk Rusdin @ Musidi Riman, who was the State Water Department finance division head from April 2014 until October 2017, confirmed in his witness statement that from 2005 to 2016, a total 10,167 Letters of Authority for Allocation expenditure for the department’s division and headquarters involving a total sum of RM2,864 billion had been issued and signed by the Director (Ag Mohd Tahir).
Rusdin, who is now the Finance Permanent Secretary, stated that upon filtered, 8,387 of the 10,167 approval letters were personally signed by the Director involving a total sum of RM2.381 billion.
Rusdin also stated that during the period from 2005 to 2016, a total 8,491 Letters of Authority for Allocation expenditure involving a total RM2.232 billion were issued and signed by the Director only for the Division.
After filtering, there were 7,389 approvals signed by the Director himself amounting to RM2.109 billion, he said.
Rusdin stated in his witness statement that the purpose of preparing the Full Report was for the MACC to make an analysis in the investigation on the Letter of Authority for Allocation expenditure of the Sabah State Water Department issued for the period of 2005 to 2016.
Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah were represented by counsel Marcel Jude while counsel Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, Baldev Singh and Karpaljit Singh appeared for Lim.
Trial continues.
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