Kota Kinabalu: The Special Corruption Court heard Friday that former State Water Department deputy director Lim Lam Beng was appointed as a temporary engineering/technical advisor in 2015 following his retirement.
The Prosecution’s 31st witness Asiah Ismail, who was a chief assistant secretary and account management at the State Finance Ministry, verified a document from the Ministry dated May 18, 2015 in relation to the position offered to Lim as engineering/technical advisory officer, grade J54, Management and Professional Group effective June 1, 2015 until May 31, 2016.
Asiah, during examination-in-chief before Judge Abu Bakar Manat also verified that the basic salary offered was RM8,000 per month and that Lim was also offered Civil Service Allowance, Area Allowance and Housing Allowance according to the rules in force.
Asiah, currently attached to the Local Government and Housing Ministry as an administrative officer, said Lim accepted the position.
In another document, Asiah verified that it was a notification to Lim that his service as engineering/technical advisor was suspended starting from the MACC arrest on Oct 16, 2016 until the case is completed.
The witness was also referred to several documents which she confirmed that they were general payment vouchers for the financial years 2015 and 2016.
Lim, 66, was tried together with former State Water Department director Ag Mohd Tahir Ag Mohd Talib, 58, Ag Mohd Tahir’s wife Fauziah Piut, 55, who had on Dec. 29, 2016 pleaded not guilty to 37 counts of money laundering, involving RM61.57million.
During cross-examination by Lim’s counsel, who referred the witness to the suspension of Temporary Work letter, Asiah said she was not sure whether Lim would be reinstated according to the contract if he is discharged and acquitted after the case.
Meanwhile, prosecution’s 30th witness Jamilah Bakir, a retired administrative assistant at the Public Service Department, Sabah Branch Pension Division, told the court that the total payment and pension for Lim from Feb 2014 until Oct 2016 was RM450,924.98.
Jamilah verified a document - the approval of retirement benefits, the pension section of the Malaysian Public Service Department referred to her as details of retirees and services for Lim.
The document details that it was a mandatory retirement for Lim with the final position as an Engineer, grade J52 with a monthly final salary of RM8,438.15 and that the retirement date was on Feb 16, 2014 and the pension date started on Feb 16, 2014, stated Jamilah.
Jamilah stated that the document also stated that Lim’s total service period was 37 years 10 months and 13 days while the total period of Lim’s service months was 454 months.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Mahadi Abdul Jumaat, Haresh Prakash Somiah and Zander Lim appeared for the prosecution.
Lim was represented by counsel Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, Kelvin Wong and Karpaljit Singh.
Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah were represented by counsel Priskila Akwila Sinem.
Trial adjourned to Feb. 2.
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