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Musa Aman's office unshaken by Swiss probe into CM's dealings
Published:  Jun 26, 2016 5:49 PM
Updated: Jun 27, 2016 2:55 AM

Sabah chief minister Musa Aman's office has dismissed recent reports of possible wrongdoing involving the CM and Swiss Bank UBS as "recycled" allegations.

The CM's political secretary Mohd Joh Wid said Musa was investigated by Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in 2012, but no charges were made.

"Unfortunately, this baseless story has been recycled by those with vested interests," he said in an email to Malaysiakini.

The Swiss Federal Court on Thursday ordered UBS Bank to release records on its business ties with Musa to the country's Attorney-General's Office (AGO).

It further ruled that the documents can be used in criminal proceedings against the bank.

It was reported in November 2014 that Swiss prosecutors had confiscated confidential bank records on UBS' relationship with Musa.

Musa is alleged to be involved in a US$90 million corruption scandal for allegedly collecting bribes for granting logging concessions of tropical rainforest in Sabah.

The alleged deposits for logging concessions were collected through UBS Bank accounts in Singapore and Hong Kong. Musa denies this.

Basel-based indigenous rights and environmental NGO Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) lodged a complaint, resulting in the Swiss AGO opening criminal proceedings against the bank in 2012.

In 2012, the MACC investigation papers submitted to the Attorney-General's Chambers showed that the RM40 million a Sabah businessman was caught trying to smuggle from Hong Kong to Malaysia, were political contributions to Sabah Umno, and not Musa.

Then Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz, told Parliament the MACC had concluded "no element of corruption was proven" in the case.

Businessman Michael Chia was caught with the RM40 million on Aug 14, 2008.

Chia was charged with money laundering and trafficking by the Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

ICAC investigations also reportedly found that the money was earmarked for Musa and was part of the funds deposited into a Swiss bank account containing US$30 million, which a lawyer was allegedly holding in trust for the Sabah chief minister.

Nazri was accused of conflict of interest in the issue, after his son was caught on camera driving a vehicle registered in Chia's name.

Nazri said this had nothing to do with him, as his son was an adult.

 

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