KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 ― Former Sabah Water Department (SWD) director Ag Mohd Tahir Ag Talib and his wife Fauziah Piut have failed to post bail once more even after the court halved their total amount to RM6 million.
The couple were sent back to the Kota Kinabalu Central Lockup as they were unable to pay the reduced bail amount at 5.30pm yesterday, the New Straits Times daily reported.
The couple, charged with corruption, have been held there since last December 29 when they failed to pay the initial RM12 million bail amount.
Yesterday, the Kota Kinabalu High Court reduced Ag Mohd Tahir’s RM10 million bail amount to RM5 million, with RM2 million to be fully deposited. Fauziah’s bail amount was also slashed from RM2 million to RM1 million, with RM500,000 to be deposited.
Both are required to name two local sureties each to pay the remaining bail amount if they abscond, and would also have to report to the Malaysian-Anti Corruption Commission office once every fortnight.
High Court judge Ravinthran Paramaguru said a high bail amount is intended to ensure the accused attends court cases, while MACC deputy public prosecutor Muhamad Anas Mahadzir said the RM5 million bail was still one of the highest ever set in Malaysia.
On December 29, Ag Mohd Tahir, 54, and Fauziah, 51, along with former SWD deputy director Lim Lam Peng, 62, were charged with 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.
Lim Lam Beng claimed trial to the possession of RM2.38 million in proceeds from illegal activities. His bail was fixed at RM1 million.
The three cases will come up for re-mention this February 28.
