KOTA KINABALU, June 9 — The High Court here today allowed former Sabah Water Department (SWD) director Ag Mohd Tahir Ag Talib to be released on bail paid mostly from a land title deed under his brother’s name.

Judge Datuk Nurchaya Arshad allowed the application, earlier saying that there was no law that specified bail could only be paid in cash.

Ag Mohd Tahir’s counsel Amli Nohin said that one of the local sureties, Ag Mohd Tahir’s brother, who was also the title heed holder of the RM2 million landed property, posted the bail.

The 54-year-old former director walked out of the courthouse at about 5.45pm with family and friends, smiling after the deposit was settled.

Amli had earlier today made the application to deposit RM500,000 of the RM2 million bail in cash, while the balance of RM1.5 million be settled with a landed property title deed valued at no less than RM2 million.

Nurchaya, in allowing the application, said that the titles are to be submitted along with valuation reports by licensed property values.

Such cases of bail being paid by title deeds was not unheard of, with over four such cases in the country’s history.

Bail was initially set at RM10 million for Ag Mohd Tahir and RM2 million for his wife Fauziah Piut but was reduced by half in January. Ag Tahir was ordered to pay the full amount of RM2 million while Fauziah had to pay RM500,000 to be released.

Fauziah was released shortly after while Ag Mohd Tahir remained behind bars.

On December 29, Ag Mohd Tahir, 54, and Fauziah, 51, along with former SWD deputy director Lim Lam Peng were charged with a total 37 counts of misappropriating infrastructure funds.

Ag Mohd Tahir was charged with eight counts of possession of over RM56.9 million in cash and in four bank accounts; two counts of possessing six luxury cars; one count of possessing 86 watches of various brands; and one count of being directly involved in a RM14,000 cash transaction to Cristine Fiona M. Ponsoi. The charges were under Section 4(1)(b) and 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act.

Fauziah was charged under Section 4(1)(b) with 18 counts of possession of over RM2.2 million in 18 different bank accounts in Sabah and one count of possession of 93 bags of various brands that were allegedly proceeds from illegal activities.

The couple were also jointly charged under Section 4(1)(b) under two counts for possession of 575 pieces of gold jewellery and 346 other forms of jewellery.

Former SWD deputy director Lim Lam Beng, 62, also claimed trial to the possession of RM2.38 million in proceeds from illegal activities. His bail was fixed at RM1 million.

All pleaded not guilty. The trial is expected to take place from July 4 to August 25 in front of sessions court Judge Abu Bakar Manat.

The investigation of this case involved the largest cash seizure in the country’s history by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, worth some RM114 million.