Latest news with #RM2.2
Daily Express
3 days ago
- Daily Express
Large amount of money belonged to others
Published on: Friday, June 27, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jun 27, 2025 By: Jo Ann Mool Text Size: Ag Mohd Tahir, 63, is on trial together with his wife, Fauziah Piut, 60, and former deputy director, Lim Lam Beng, 66, with each facing separate charges among a total of 37 for money laundering involving RM61.57 million in cash and bank savings, as well as unlawful possession of luxury items between October and November 2016. Kota Kinabalu: Former Water Department Director, Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib, told the Special Corruption Court on Thursday that a large sum of money belonging to others was kept in the pantry of his office. During cross-examination by Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Mahadi Abdul Jumaat, before Judge Abu Bakar Manat, Ag Mohd Tahir said there were items belonging to others in the pantry, namely a large sum of money, at the time of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) raid in 2016. On Wednesday, Ag Mohd Tahir, in his witness statement during examination-in-chief regarding the money found in the pantry of his office at Wisma Muis, stated that most of the money did not belong to him and had already been there when he took office in 2003. He added that part of the money was his, which he had received from business partnerships with Michael Wong, Fauzi and Haris. Ag Mohd Tahir said most of the money found in the pantry was not his, as it had already been there when he started occupying the office. He estimated that about RM20 million was already in the pantry, while roughly RM3 million belonged to him personally. Ag Mohd Tahir, 63, is on trial together with his wife, Fauziah Piut, 60, and former deputy director, Lim Lam Beng, 66, with each facing separate charges among a total of 37 for money laundering involving RM61.57 million in cash and bank savings, as well as unlawful possession of luxury items between October and November 2016. When further cross-examined by the prosecution on Thursday, Ag Mohd Tahir said he was unaware that his wife had 19 bank accounts across several banks, including Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), which collectively held a total of RM2.2 million. He also disagreed that more than 900 pieces of jewellery were found in his wife's possession in a room that was also occupied by him. To a suggestion, Ag Mohd Tahir disagreed that the cash, jewellery, luxury watches, designer handbags, and luxury cars found inside and outside his house belonged to him and his wife. Ag Mohd Tahir agreed to the prosecution's suggestion that his wife could not have afforded over 90 luxury handbags based on her last drawn salary in 2013. He said her last job was as a secretary at Ko-Nelayan Kota Kinabalu but was unsure about the prosecution's claim that her salary ranged between RM2,500 and RM3,000. In response to a question, Ag Mohd Tahir said he could not recall whether all his other sources of income had ever been declared to the Sabah Water Department's administration, as it had been too long ago. He disagreed with the prosecution's suggestion that he failed to make declarations because the seized cash and valuable items were proceeds of illegal activities, and also disagreed that he did not declare them because he could not explain the source of the income. DPP: You also did not make any declaration regarding assets owned by your spouse? Ag Mohd Tahir: I do not remember, it was a long time ago. DPP: You also could not declare the source of income for the assets owned by your wife. Ag Mohd Tahir: I disagree. DPP: If the money and items were lawfully acquired, you would have had no issue declaring them, agree? Ag Mohd Tahir: I am not sure. When referred to a document, his asset declaration dated Jan 3, 2005, Ag Mohd Tahir agreed with the prosecution's suggestion that it was the only declaration he made throughout his service up to 2016. DPP: From this declaration, you only declared one house at Grace Ville and one car, correct? Ag Mohd Tahir: Correct. DPP: From this declaration, you stated that your wife's income was only RM2,000, correct? Ag Mohd Tahir: Correct. DPP: It is clear from this document that the millions in cash, several luxury cars, a luxury home worth millions, luxury watches, and the millions in your bank accounts were never declared, based on this declaration. Correct? Ag Mohd Tahir: Based on this document, correct. DPP: And from this document, no business income was declared. Correct? Ag Mohd Tahir: Correct. Also appearing for the prosecution are DPPS Haresh Prakash Somiah and Zander Lim, alongside DPP Mahadi. Representing Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah were counsels Datuk Ansari Abdullah and Erveana Ansari, while Lim was defended by Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, Baldev Singh, Karpaljit Singh, and Kelvin Wong. Trial adjourned to July 23. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- New Straits Times
Ex-Sabah Water Dept director claims RM20mil found in office 'belonged to others'
KOTA KINABALU: A former Sabah Water Department (JANS) director told the court that the large amount of money found in his office during a 2016 raid by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) belonged to other individuals. Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib said the cash was already present when he began working in the office, adding that only a portion of it was his. "Most of the cash in the pantry was not mine. It was already there when I took over the office. However, from time to time, I kept some of my own money there because my brother, who is the Umno treasurer, would occasionally come to ask for political donations. I estimate that about RM20 million was already there, and roughly RM3 million belonged to me," he said. Ag Tahir was testifying before Judge Abu Bakar Manat as his defence trial resumed today. Commenting on the "Go Away" sign found on the door beside the window behind his office desk, Ag Tahir said: "The sign was already there when I started working in the director's office." It was previously reported that piles of cash were discovered inside a room with a "Go Away" sign on the doorknob in Ag Tahir's office. During cross-examination by deputy public prosecutor Mahadi Abdul Jumaat, Ag Tahir said that the majority of the money belonged to others. Prosecution: Were there any belongings in the pantry that belonged to other people? Ag Tahir: Yes. Prosecution: Could you specify what those belongings were? What exactly do you mean? Ag Tahir: A large sum of money. However, Ag Tahir said he could not recall whether the cash was removed and displayed at the front of his office during the raid. He also claimed he was unaware that the money could not be counted on-site due to its volume. Prosecution: Were you in your office throughout the search, and did you witness the process? Ag Tahir: I was seated there, but I did not witness the proceedings. In response to another question, Ag Tahir testified that he did not know his wife, Fauziah Piut, held 19 bank accounts, nor was he aware that the total amount in those accounts came to RM2.2 million. Ag Tahir also denied that, in addition to millions in cash, the MACC had found 900 items of jewellery. He said he was unaware that the jewellery was valued at RM1.7 million in 2016 and that, in 2023, an expert witness had testified that its value had risen to RM4.1 million. Standing trial alongside Ag Tahir, 63, are his wife Fauziah, 60, and former deputy director Lim Lam Beng, 66. The trio jointly face 37 charges of money laundering involving cash and bank savings totalling RM61.57 million, as well as unlawful possession of luxury goods between October and November 2016. Deputy public prosecutors Haresh Prakash Somiah and Zander Lim are conducting the trial. Ag Tahir and Fauziah are represented by Datuk Ansari Abdullah and Erveana Ansari, while Lim is represented by Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, Baldev Singh, Karpaljit Singh, and Kelvin Wong. The trial will resume on July 23.
Borneo Post
4 days ago
- Borneo Post
Ex-Sabah Water Director claims RM17 million not his
KOTA KINABALU (June 26): A Sessions Court here today heard that large amount of cash allegedly found by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in a former Sabah Water Department director's office pantry belonged to someone else. The first defence witness, Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib, 63, told judge Abu Bakar Manat that most of the cash found in the pantry did not belong to him — only the amount inside a knapsack was his. Under cross-examination by deputy public prosecutor Mahadi Abdul Jumaat, Ag Mohd Tahir disagreed with the suggestion that he was the only person who had a key to the pantry. Mahadi: At the pantry and inside the knapsack, there was nothing belonging to anyone else. Agree? Ag Mohd Tahir: Only inside the knapsack was mine. Mahadi: In the pantry, there were items belonging to someone else? Ag Mohd Tahir: Yes. Mahadi: Can you tell the court what items belonged to someone else? Ag Mohd Tahir: A large amount of cash. He also agreed that no items in the knapsack belonged to someone else. Earlier, under examination-in-chief, Ag Mohd Tahir testified that the bulk of the RM20 million allegedly found in the pantry was already there when he entered the office. He claimed that from time to time he would keep his money there, especially when his brother came to request political donations. He maintained that only RM3 million of the RM20 million belonged to him. Ag Mohd Tahir is on trial alongside his wife Fauziah Hj Piut, 58, and former department deputy director Lim Lam Beng @ Lim Chee Hong, 69. He faces 11 charges, while Fauziah faces 19 charges under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUA). The couple also faces two joint charges under the same section, while Ag Mohd Tahir has an additional charge under Section 4(1)(a). The alleged offences were committed between October 4 and November 4, 2016, at various locations including Ag Mohd Tahir's office, a house in Sembulan, bank branches, a condominium in Sulaman, and a tower in Kuala Lumpur. Lim is alleged to have committed related offences between October 13 and November 8, 2016, at the MACC office in Jalan UMS and at a residence in Kota Kinabalu. Ag Mohd Tahir also testified that he was unaware his wife had 19 bank accounts totalling RM2.2 million. He disagreed with claims that MACC had seized 900 pieces of jewellery, initially valued at RM1.7 million in 2016, and later appraised at RM4.1 million in 2023. The prosecution is led by deputy public prosecutors Mahadi Abdul Jumaat, Haresh Prakash Somiah and Zander Lim. Ag Mohd Tahir and Fauziah are represented by Datuk Hj Ansari Abdullah and Erveana Ansari. Lim is defended by Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, Baldev Singh and Kelvin Wong. The trial resumes on July 23.
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Aeon Credit shareholders give nod to final dividend, RM146.8mil in total payout
KUALA LUMPUR: Aeon Credit Service (M) Bhd has received it shareholders' approval to pay a final single-tier dividend of 14.50 sen per share. This brings the total dividend to 28.75 sen per share, amounting to RM146.8 million for financial year ended Feb 28, 2025 (FY25) and representing a payout ratio of 39.6 per cent. Aeon Credit's revenue increased 15.1 per cent year-on-year to RM2.2 billion in FY25, supported by strong growth across all key products. The company said it maintained operational efficiency with a cost-to-income ratio, excluding impairment losses, of 28.2 per cent, supported by ongoing digital transformation and process optimisation efforts. "Profit from operation before accounting for the losses recorded from associate company, Aeon Bank remained stable at RM581.84 million, consistent with the previous year's performance." The group's net profit stood at RM370.6 million after equity accounted losses of RM68.33 million from Aeon Bank. Total transaction volume grew 15.3 per cent to RM8.41 billion, while gross receivables reached RM14 billion, exceeding its 10 per cent annual growth target. This was driven by robust performance in automobile financing, personal financing and payment business. Aeon Credit managing director Daisuke Maeda said now that Aeon Bank is operational, the company is entering a new era of ecosystem-led expansion, enabling it to better serve the evolving needs of customers. To support its growth, Aeon Credit has automated its credit assessment process. The upgraded loan origination system enabled 41 per cent of applications to be processed automatically, with 19 per cent approved instantly via AI-driven credit scoring. The rollout of a new collection system improved collection response times, boosting collection productivity by 22 per cent and achieving a 97.57 per cent collection ratio for billing accounts not past due. The company said the risk-based collection strategy supported by an AI-driven scoring model, further enhanced collection performance and productivity. Under the Aeon Living Zone vision, Aeon Credit continues to foster synergies through collaboration initiatives across the Aeon ecosystem. The expansion of Aeon Wallet functionalities, embedding onboarding capabilities for financing, retail, insurance and banking products aims to create a centralised hub for both financial services and lifestyle needs. This is further supported by revamp of the tiered Aeon loyalty programme to broaden market reach and unlock new growth opportunities. "These initiatives position us well to unlock long-term value for our customers and stakeholders. "We remain focused on leveraging our ecosystem to deliver innovative, responsible, and customer-centric financial solutions," Maeda said.
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
CPI Land to launch premium residential project with RM557mil GDV in Gombak
KUALA LUMPUR: CPI Land is set to launch a residential development in Selangor that "will redefine" luxury living in the region. Permata Heights, a premium freehold landed residential development in Gombak, will boast a total gross development value (GDV) of RM557 million. "Permata Heights signifies CPI Land's strategic expansion into the high-end landed property market, reinforcing its commitment to delivering standout homes in highly sought-after locations. "Nestled at the highest point of Taman Bukit Permata, this exclusive 8.33-hectare development will feature only 177 residential units, offering a low-density living experience across stratified super-link homes, semi-detached houses and bungalows," it said. The limited collection of residences is designed to cater to discerning buyers seeking unparalleled privacy, space and modern amenities, CPI Land added. "Post-pandemic trends clearly show rising demand for upmarket landed homes, with recent launches outperforming comparable mass-market properties. "We're not just entering this segment; we're doing it with intention. Location, low density, and market alignment are our pillars, ensuring Permata Heights offers exceptional value and an elevated lifestyle," said Chung Shan Tat, chairman of CPI Land. The initial phase, Permata Gemma, is targeted for launch in July with a projected GDV of RM123 million. The phase will comprise 36 three-storey semi-detached homes and 24 three-storey bungalows, tailored for business owners and multi-generational families. Prices for semi-detached homes will start from RM1.76 million, while bungalows will be priced around RM2.2 million, reflecting the premium features and expansive layouts. These residences will boast open designs, high ceilings, full-length windows, private gardens or balconies, and provisions for lifts, EV charging, and solar panels, blending sustainability with sophisticated living. "Permata Heights is poised to become a landmark development, offering residents unobstructed views of the Kuala Lumpur skyline and excellent connectivity to major highways such as MRR2, Duke, Karak Expressway and the Setiawangsa-Pantai link," Chung said. Buying sub-sale terrace homes today often comes with high renovation costs, ageing structures, and sky-high prices, he added. "Permata Heights addresses this by offering brand new landed homes featuring modern façades with distinctive curated residences and amenities that have become a hallmark of our company." Chung said the initial market response has been overwhelmingly positive, with significant interest and sales appointments already booked. Full take-up of Permata Gemma is anticipated within six to nine months. Following Permata Gemma, Phase 2 (39 semi-detached homes and bungalows) and Phase 3-a gated 78‑unit stratified landed phase on the distinctive "Eyeball" apex, will roll out next year. Phase 4 will comprise serviced apartments which will be located away from the first three phases. CPI Land is preparing another landed project in Selayang by year‑end. The company has also acquired 2.25ha in Permas Jaya, Johor expanding beyond the central region for the first time. This positions the company to strengthen its portfolio.
