KOTA KINABALU: A High Court today set Mar 20 for decision on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) application to have a joint-hearing for money laundering cases against former Sabah Water Department deputy director Teo Chee Kong with three others.

Judge Nurchaya Arshad also set the same date for decision on Teo’s application for the production of CCTV footage, a lockup registration book and other documents related to his remand, which had been previously dismissed by Sessions Court judge Abu Bakar Manat.

Deputy public prosecutor Tengku Amir Zaki Tengku Abdul Rahman represented the MACC while a team led by Roland Cheng appeared for Teo.

Teo, 52, faces 146 counts of money laundering, involving more than RM32 million, in connection with federal-funded projects by the department between 2010 and 2016.

The MACC is seeking to have Teo jointly tried with the department’s former director Ag Mohd Tahir Talib and his wife Fauziah Piut and state finance ministry adviser Lim Lam Beng.

Ag Mohd and Fauziah had pled not guilty to 31 money-laundering charges involving RM59.1 million, as well as two counts of possessing 575 pieces of jewellery and 346 other valuable items, acquired through illegal means.

The graft busters also want to charge them jointly with Lim, 62, who faces four counts of money-laundering involving RM2.38 million.

The case, dubbed Sabah’s Watergate by the media, is considered the largest ever confiscation of cash and assets by the nation’s anti-graft authorities.

Ex-Sabah water director, wife bid to quash allegations

MACC denies declaring Sabah Water Department case graft-free