No proof of graft on Musa, says Nazri

Source

The minister adds that the Hong Kong authorities
had also decided against taking any action
against the Sabah chief minister.

KUALA LUMPUR: Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman has been cleared of allegations of laundering money purportedly linked to Umno.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Aziz said the Attorney-General (Abdul Gani Patail) found “no elements of corruption” from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) probe on the Umno leader.

He said the money was only a “contribution” to the party’s Sabah chapter.

“It is not for the private use of the the chief minister,” he said in a written reply to Batu MP Tian Chua at Parliament today.

Tian Chua said Nazri’s reply did not clear anything and left many questions unanswered.

Sarawak Report earlier this year had disclosed documents purportedly from the Independent Commission Against Corruption Hong Kong (ICAC) allegedly showing a Sabah lawyer holding some US$30 million (RM92 million) in a Swiss bank account.

The money allegedly belongs to Musa.

Nazri claimed today the ICAC had decided against any further action and it had also retracted its application for an investigation on the matter with the Swiss courts.

“This application done under MACMA [Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act] was also withdrawn for the same reason,” said Nazri, the Padang Rengas MP.

The report claimed that a paper trail showed that millions in euros, US dollars, Hong Kong and Singapore dollars were channelled from several firms to a number of British Virgin Island companies and subsequently to Musa’s Swiss account.

Timber trader

The transactions were believed to have been managed by Hong Kong-based timber trader Michael Chia who was later arrested and charged with money laundering after attempting to smuggle S$16 million (RM40 million) back to Malaysia in 2008.

Musa has since denied any link with Chia who, according to media reports, had at the time allegedly told the Hong Kong authorities that the money belonged to Musa.

“I deny all these allegations. I wish to put it on record once again that I have no business association whatsoever with an individual named Michael Chia,” Musa said in a statement.

Musa instead accused Sarawak Report of defaming him, claiming the graft allegations were likely part of a conspiracy by his detractors who wanted to topple Barisan Nasional in Sabah.

He said he would offer full co-operation to the authorities if he was required to but stressed that in the meantime, his focus was on serving the state instead of “entertaining these frivolous allegations”.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in a move to contain a potential scandal had told Tian Chua in a written reply that the MACC had completed its probe on the matter and had passed it on to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for consideration.