‘Whose money is Musa holding?’

Sabah Chief Minister Musa has claimed that a large part of his multi-million fortune held in foreign accounts is not privately owned by him.

KUALA LUMPUR: PKR wants Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to clarify “leaked” investigation papers that a Swiss bank account linked to Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman contains US$100 million belonging to Umno.

Musa allegedly told Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers that the money in question traced to a bank in Zurich, Switzerland and under investigation by banking and criminal investigation agencies overseas was not his but Umno’s, said a senior PKR official.

PKR vice president Tian Chua who is also MP for Batu, said Najib must explain Musa’s alleged statement linking Umno and therefore the government to the hitherto secret party slush fund.

The money is part of a large sum being traced by international investigative reporters including of online media, Sarawak Report, who published details of transactions connecting Musa, Sabah businessman Michael Chia as well as many in Malaysian and Swiss banking in questionable financial deals crisscrossing several countries.

When Chia was caught with S$16 million cash in Hong Kong few years ago, he reportedly told the Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) that the money belonged to Musa.

Musa however immediately denied knowing Chia and by inference anything about the money.

However pictures of them together and details of transactions including payments to Musa’s two sons in Australia were then exposed by the online media raising further questions about the matter.

This prompted more information being exposed by authorities in Zurich, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.

According to Tian Chua, on June 15, PKR deputy secretary general Darell Leiking, parliamentarian Sivarasa Rasiah and he held a press conference in the Parliament House questioning the government’s inaction despite detailed information becoming public of a money laundering operation that has implicated Musa.

“On June 21, I received a reply from the prime minister on the status of the investigation of corruption allegations against Musa following the arrest of Michael Chia in Hong Kong.

“The answer from PM stated that MACC had provided full cooperation with Hong Kong ICAC and had completed the investigation. Presently the file is on the table of Attorney-General but so far no action has been taken,” he said.

Funds ‘held in trust’
Tian Chua said the case received new attention when NGO activist Prof Monika Roth filed a suit against Swiss UBS Bank linking the bank with the money laundering operations in Sabah.

However, once again, there was total silence from the Malaysian government, he said.

“A few days ago, I received a mysterious phone call from an unknown person who claimed that he was a staff member of MACC.

“He revealed that the MACC had initiated a new investigation on Musa where he was interviewed by several MACC officers on a date not told to me.

“Musa defended his actions and told the MACC officers to “check their facts with the prime minister.”

“Musa claimed that a large part of his multi-million fortune held in foreign currency accounts overseas was not privately owned by him.

“Instead it was held in trust on behalf of Umno. Now the public is eager to know whether this is true, and if the PM is aware of this.

“As the phone call was confidential and I had no means to verify the information, I hereby call upon the PM to step forward to clarify whether the MACC had initiated a new investigation on Musa.

“I also call on (Attorney-General) Abdul Gani Patail to step aside vis-a-vis the investigation related to Musa as it is clear that the AG is unable to convince the public of his impartiality,” said Tian Chua.