MP SPEAKS | Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa should explain why he has not apologised for the party’s complicity in the monstrous global 1MDB scandal before 2014, although he has admitted to it.
Annuar made this admission when he claimed Umno’s current frozen accounts had nothing to do with 1MDB, as the funds from the former party president Najib Abdul Razak were “used up by 2014".
Is Annuar’s admission of Umno complicity in the 1MDB scandal an official admission?
Has Annuar received the consent of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, deputy president Mohamad Hasan and the supreme council to make this admission of the party’s complicity in the 1MDB scandal?
I had only asked four days ago when all the former ministers, MPs and BN leaders of the Najib government would apologise to the nation for pretending there was no scandal, when the whole world regarded Malaysia as a global kleptocracy because of 1MDB.
This was after Hong Kong became the latest country to take action against former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner because of 1MDB.
The HK Securities and Futures Commission banned Leissner from re-entering the industry for life for his crimes linked to the 1MDB scandal.
Leissner had pleaded guilty in August 2018 to criminal charges brought by the US Department of Justice against him for conspiring to commit money laundering and violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
He admitted, among others, that between 2009 and 2014, he conspired with others to obtain and retain business from 1MDB for Goldman Sachs through the promise and payment of bribes and kickbacks to government officials in Malaysia and Abu Dhabi.
He also admitted to embezzling funds from 1MDB for himself and others, laundered the bribes, kickbacks and other embezzled funds from 1MDB, and knowingly circumvented the controls of Goldman Sachs.
The court in the US found Leissner guilty of both charges and ordered him to forfeit US$43.7 million (RM181 million) as a result of his crimes.
Back home, all Malaysians are waiting for all the former ministers, MPs and BN leaders of Najib’s administration to apologise to the nation for pretending that there was no 1MDB scandal – when the whole world knew and regarded Malaysia under Najib was a global kleptocracy because of the 1MDB scandal.
Although Annuar (photo) swore that “not a single sen of the money that has been frozen in Umno’s accounts has anything to do with 1MDB”, Bersatu supreme council member Tariq Ismail has exposed Annuar’s “flawed logic”, asking:
”So, if Umno received funds in 2011, 2012 and 2013 from 1MDB and used it all in 2014, it means they are not guilty?
“Going by that logic, if a thief steals money and uses it, he is innocent?"
Tariq asked Annuar to do some soul searching as “he is part of the gravy train of Umno leaders” who were only too happy to receive the 1MDB money.
Stating that Annuar was in denial in believing that Umno was innocent, Tariq said under money laundering laws, it does not matter whether the money has been spent or not when the account is frozen.
“As long as an account is suspected of receiving illegal money, that account is liable to be frozen, regardless of whether that illegal money has been spent or otherwise at the time the account is frozen.”
Let Malaysians hear from Annuar: is Umno guilty or innocent in the 1MDB scandal?
LIM KIT SIANG is Iskandar Puteri MP.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
