KOTA KINABALU: The High Court today dismissed the objection for a joint trial in the case of Sabah Water Department graft scandal here.
Judge Datuk Nurchaya Arshad rejected the application for review by former state water department deputy director Teo Chee Kong, who is charged with money laundering.
Nurchaya also dismissed Teo's revision application against the refusal of Sessions Court Judge (Abu Bakar Manat) to recuse himself from hearing the trial.
Nurchaya, in her judgment, said there was no real likelihood of danger, in the sense of a real possibility of bias on the part of the Sessions Court Judge.
In dismissing the application, she also said there was no issue of different evidence or witnesses involved.
Nurchaya's judgment was delivered by Deputy Registrar Dana Arabi Wazami before both prosecution and defence teams.
Teo was represented by a team of counsel led by Roland Cheng while deputy public prosecutor Tengku Amir Zaki Tengku Abdul Rahman, represented Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Nurchaya accordingly ordered the joint trial to proceed expeditiously.
Teo and two others - former Sabah Water director Awang Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib and his wife Fauziah Piut - are scheduled for trial on April 4 and 5.
On Teo's criminal revision application to produce CCTV footages, logbook and documents, Nurchaya ordered the prosecution team to produce the necessary files before the trial commences.
Speaking to reporters, Tengku Amir confirmed the joint trial remains, but Teo would be appealing to the Court of Appeal.
Teo on Dec13 last year claimed trial to 146 charges of money laundering involving RM32.93 million.
All charges were under Section 4(1)(a) and Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001.
In October 2016, Teo and Mohd Tahir were remanded by MACC to assist probe on mishandling of funds for water infrastructure projects in this State before being released on bail.
On Dec 29, 2016, Mohd Tahir and Fauziah pleaded not guilty to 31 money-laundering charges involving RM59.1 million, as well two counts of possessing 575 pieces of jewelry and 346 other valuable items, acquired through illegal means.