KOTA KINALAU (Dec 4): The Sessions Court here on Wednesday ordered former Sabah Water Department (JANS) director Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib and two others to enter their defence on 37 charges of money laundering.

Judge Abu Bakar Manat ruled that the prosecution had successfully established a prima facie case against Ag Mohd Tahir, 62, his wife Fauziah Piut, 59, and former JANS deputy director Lim Lam Beng, 70.

Abu Bakar set Feb 26 to 28 and April 28 to 30 next year for the defence proceedings.

The trio is jointly charged with 37 counts of money laundering involving cash and bank deposits totaling RM61.57 million, as well as unlawfully possessing luxury items between October and November 2016.

The charges were under Sections 4(1)(a) and 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing, and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLA).

Deputy public prosecutors Mahadi Abdul Jumaat, Haresh Prakash Somiah and Zander Lim handled the prosecution and called 38 witnesses during the trial.

Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah were represented by lawyers Datuk Ansari Abdullah and Priskila Akwila Sinem, while Lim was represented by Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, Baldev Singh and Kelvin Wong.

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