Kota Kinabalu: A former water engineer told the Sessions Court Thursday that he surrendered RM1.2 million cash that he kept in his house to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) soon after he was released from remand after the centralised collection system was uncovered in 2016.
Tam Yin Foon, a Kota Belud water engineer from 2002 to 2007 and Keningau water engineer since 2007, told Judge Abu Bakar Manat this in continuing his testimony as the prosecution’s 33rd witness in the trial of two former officials of the Sabah Water Department and one of their wives, who were charged with money-laundering.
Tam said at that time he was a Keningau water engineer and was remanded for seven days in which he gave his statements to the MACC.
Tam said after that, he handed RM1.2 million cash that was seized from his house to the MACC and another RM300,000 which he had asked the contractor to hand over to the MACC.
Tam also said at the end of his remand, the MACC asked him to withdraw RM300,000 from his bank account and hand it over to them.
Tam claimed the money was his own money as inheritance from his late father, who passed away in 2014, and also income from rent, which he voluntarily handed over as according to him, at that time he did not know anything.
Testifying further, Tam said after being informed about the 10.75 per cent scheme in a divisional and district water engineers meeting on April 6, 2005, he agreed to join it.
Tam said he agreed because he noticed no engineers objected to it and secondly, he was worried that if he does not follow the scheme, it is possible that his Kota Belud division will not get enough allocation to implement water supply development projects.
He added that he was not forced to join the scheme.
“After agreeing to participate in the scheme, I returned to my district and informed the Water Department friendly contractors, which was about four, about the scheme and that they agreed to participate,” said Tam, adding he thought the contractors agreed because they would not lose and get profit.
Tam said he never verified with any individuals who got benefits according to percentage in the scheme because it was what Teo Chee Kong (who was the Kota Kinabalu divisional water engineer at that time) said to him and that he just took what Teo said.
To a question on why he gave an average amount of RM200,000-RM300,000 cash to Teo when handing over the commission money from the scheme, Tam explained that it was so that he would not have to go back and forth to see Teo.
Tam added that on average he handed over the amount of money to Teo four times a year when he served in the Kota Belud and Keningau divisions.
Tam said he kept the commission money in RM100 and RM50 notes in a courier bag and inserted a piece of paper with the amount of money before sealing the bag and handing it to Teo.
To another question, Tam said there was a difference in the allocation given to his division in Kota Belud and Keningau when the scheme was implemented, where he noticed there was an increase in allocation in the range of 30-40 per cent.
Tam added that there were no complaints from any party, including contractors, regarding the 10.75 per cent scheme as long as he was working as a water engineer in Kota Belud and Keningau.
To a question, Tam said he kept most of the money obtained from the scheme in the Standard Chartered Bank from 2005 to 2016 but he could not remember the amount.
Tam added he kept the money earned from the scheme in his bank account to pay housing loans, car loans and credit cards, and also for travelling expenses.
On trial were former State Water director Ag Mohd Tahir Ag Mohd Talib, 58, his wife Fauziah Piut, 55, who were jointly charged with former State Water Deputy Director Lim Lam Beng, 66, on 37 counts of money-laundering involving cash and bank savings amounting to RM61.57 million, as well as unlawful possession of luxury goods.
They had, on Dec 29, 2016, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Mahadi Abdul Jumaat, Haresh Prakash Somiah and Zander Lim appeared for the prosecution.
Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah were represented by counsel Priskila Akwila Sinem and Mohamed Fareeez Mohamed Salleh.
Lim was represented by Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, Baldev Singh, Karpaljit Singh, Kelvin Wong and Aaron Lau.
Trial continues.
