Posted Saturday, June
23rd, 2012
Musa denied "any business relationship with an individual named Michael Chia"
Make no mistake, the authors of written parliamentary answers
in response to awkward questions choose their words with utmost care.
MP Chua Tian Chang had enquired of the Prime Minister what
had happened to the Anti-Corruption Commission investigation into major
money-laundering by the Sabah resident Michael
Chia, who is a known side-kick of the Chief Minister, Musa Aman.
Musa Aman has been busy repeating over past weeks that he
has nothing to do with Chia and that to suggest otherwise was to defame him.
So consider the wording of this answer given by the Prime Minister:
“The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has conducted
investigations into the Michael Chia case which is linked to the Sabah chief minister.
It has been completed and presented to the AGC for study and a
decision” [Najib Razak, written
answer21/6/12]
“Linked to the Sabah chief
minister”
In one stroke the Prime Minister has cut the ground from
beneath the already shaky CM.
Musa’s feeble pretences of “not entertaining frivolous
allegations” and protests against “defamation” are now collapsed entirely
through the words of his own boss, who has acknowledged in the most public way
possible that the Michael Chia money-laundering case “is linked to the Sabah
Chief Minister”.
What are we now to make of Musa’s recent statement?:
“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,”
Well
it seems that Malaysians now have to choose whether to believe the Chief
Minister or the Prime Minister!
Why not resign?
With such a public demonstration of disownership from his
own boss, it is baffling how Musa Aman has reasoned it possible to remain in
his office for the remainder of the week.
Apparently he has yet to comment on this confirmation that
he is indeed linked to the investigation into the laundering of around a
hundred million dollars of timber kickbacks.
Significantly, he has not dared this time to come out and
deny the allegation made by his own Prime Minister, whereas he had been happy
to accuse Sarawak Report of reproducing forged documents!
And, of course, Najib Razak has not been alone in choosing
words that finger Musa.
A
similar deliberate and damning statement has already been issued by authorities in
Switzerland, who were approached by Hong
Kong ’s investigators over Musa’s Zurich bank account, where the
timber money trail has been clearly ending up.
The careful answer by the Swiss Attorney General’s office
to the question by a journalist again implicated Musa:
Question: “The Malaysian politician Musa Aman, Minister of the
State of Sabah , is at the centre of a
corruption case in Malaysia
and Hong Kong . Hong Kong ’s
anti corruption authority has compiled a report on the case. It is alleged
that, through nominees, Aman has received a total of 90 million US dollars of
corruption payments from logging companies in return for granting logging
concessions. Allegedly, these funds have been laundered through a network of
companies and deposited on UBS accounts in Hong Kong and Zurich
Answer: “The Office of the Attorney General has in
this context provided legal
assistance".
That simple answer clearly acknowledges that Musa Aman was
at the centre of the affair, as laid out in the question!
Who else is implicated among BN's governing elite?
It might be observed that if Najib dismissed every
corrupted member of the BN government there would be few left to govern.
This is, of course, why the people need to perform this task at the next
election.
However, with Musa squarely singled out by this case, the
Attorney General (Abdul Gani Patail) is looking particularly vulnerable also.
It has long been known that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)
completed its enquiries many moons ago and sent a hefty list of suggested
charges up to the AG’s office, where all progress has subsequently been
blocked.
The AG is a relative of Aman. He is also enmeshed in
numerous other corruption controversies. His third class law degree does
not lend lustre to his position.
So, again, Najib’s choice of words puts pressure on him.
The PM has left the ball firmly in the AG’s court. If he continues
to resist a prosecution, despite the glaring public evidence that prove there
is a case for the Sabah CM to answer, then the fault for that will clearly rest
with him.
And
there is another high placed politician who is also weakened. Musa’s
brother is the Foreign Minister, Anifah Aman and Sarawak Report has already
demonstrated how he too has benefitted from the handing out of
timber licences by his own brother.
Hanging out to dry
Next in line to face the heat? Foreign Minister Anifah Aman benefitted from logging concessions handed out by his brother.
The stupidity with which Aman has plundered Sabah ’s remaining forests and then tried to hide the
proceeda has been staggering.Najib has certainly left some very senior people with some
serious embarrassment and potentially far worse after his decision to say what
he did. It may be that this is because he too feels angry and exposed.
Now the Swiss authorities are faced with investigating the
role of their bank UBS AG in the whole unsavoury process, there remains little
left to hide.
But, what of the biggest crook of all, the Chief Minister
next door, who has spent the last 30 years confiscating native lands and
handing them to his family and nominees? Who has chopped down vast tracks
of pristine jungle and profited from the kickbacks and handed billions in state
contracts to companies owned by his family and political clients?
It is time that a question was likewise asked about the
glaring evidence of Sarawak’s utter destruction through corruption and why
nothing has been said of the MACC investigation against him either – or has
Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail blocked that too?
Two Chief Ministers who have made billions destroying
the Borneo Rainforest and stealing from the native peopleSource: http://www.sarawakreport.org/2012/06/najibs-deadly-words-threaten-disaster-for-musa-aman/
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