Posted Monday, April 9th, 2012
This post is also available in: Iban
Documents leaked from a Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) enquiry have provided devastating evidence of the Sabah Chief Minister, Musa Aman’s, personal involvement in a massive timber kickback scandal, which insiders say has been subject to a high level political cover-up.
Aman has always denied that he was linked to allegations surrounding the Sabah timber trader Michael Chia, who was arrested in Hong Kong and charged with money laundering, as he attempted to smuggle SG$16million in bank notes back to Malaysia in 2008.
However, Sarawak Report has now obtained access to secret documents from the investigations by Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and Malaysia’s MACC, which directly implicate the Chief Minister.
These include copies of bank statements, which record payments to Musa Aman’s own sons from suspect accounts linked to Chia’s business activities.
Chia was Musa Aman’s ‘adopted son’
Close relationship - Musa Aman (left) and his right hand man Michael Chia
Michael Chia, who referred to himself as Aman’s adopted son, played the role as facilitator for kickbacks to the Chief Minister, according to trade insiders.
They say that soon after Aman took office, Chia started approaching key timber industry players to make plain that major concessions would be available – but only if kickbacks were paid, through him as the connector to Musa Aman.
“Tampokong was instructed to follow Chia’s instructions”, say sources. Meaning that Yayasan Sabah’s Forest Manager, Mohd Daud Tampokong, had been instructed by the Chairman of the Board Trustees, Musa Aman, to do Chia’s bidding when it came to authorising logging licences.
Yayasan Sabah controls around a million hectares of remaining forest land, which it is suppose to protect and manage on behalf of the state and its people. Unwisely, the country’s top politician is also the head of Yayasan’s Board of Trustees, giving the Chief Minister unlimited personal control over the country’s major natural resource.
Such a lack of check and balances is a recipe for corruption and our evidence shows that Aman took spectacular advantage.
Smoking gun bank accounts
Dandy - Chia loved the fast life. According to one friend "he would spend $2k on his underwear"!
At the time of his arrest in Hong Kong, clutching the bundle of Singapore bank notes worth SG$10,000 each, Chia was suspected of smuggling dirty money, with the intention of bringing it back to Sabah to finance election bribery by BN.
The money and related bank accounts were frozen in Hong Kong by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for the maximum period of 3 years, while investigators sought to get vital cooperation from Malaysia’s Attorney General, Abdul Gani Patail, in order to be able to get the evidence they needed from the Malay authorities.
Simultaneously the MACC began their own investigation, seizing 9 lorry loads of material and documents from the premises of Michael Chia and his timber business associates, including timber magnates Andrew Lim and Admond Looh.
The investigators discovered that Chia had been running a number of related bank accounts through HSBC, Singapore and the Swiss Bank UBS, based in Hong Kong. We have copies of statements from these bank accounts showing that the sons of Musa Aman were taking money out of one of them on a regular basis, based on a standing instruction.
This account was set up as an Australian Dollar account in Singapore, apparently because the boys were then studying in Perth, Australia. Money was also removed from the account by Imbarine Bujang, who was the man delegated by Musa Aman to take care of the boys’ needs while away at University in Perth.
How can Musa deny his link to Chia's activities when his own sons were taking money out of accounts that were being managed by Chia and his associates?
Mohammed Hayssam Musa and Hazem Mubarak Musa are both offspring of the Chief Minister. Sarawak Report has numerous copies of statements from this bank account, showing that their expenses were being regularly paid from it during 2006 and 2007.
A payment was also made to the Australian property company, Riverstar Investment Pty Ltd, to cover the rental costs of the boys’ apartment in Perth.
Payment for the rental for Musa's sons in Australia also came out of the same account controlled by Chia
Statements in our possession from connected USD$ accounts with the same UBS Hong Kong bank (managed through the Singapore branch) show how money was transferred to cover the payments. Our evidence is that the money flowing into these accounts was directly linked to the granting of major timber licences by Yayasan Sabah.
Chia himself paid directly to Musa’s boys
Any attempt by the Chief Minister to distance himself and his family from the evidence that he has been receiving money through Michael Chia is made even less convincing by the fact that other bank statements, made available to the MACC enquiry, show that Chia himself had been covering these regular payments to the boys in the period before setting up the UBS account in 2006.
These payments were made through his personal HSBC account!
Money for the boys was going through Michael Chia's own bank account in 2005 - Why?
SG 85,000 payment to Mohammed Tampokong!
The leaked documents in our possession also show that Yayasan Sabah’s Forest Manager, Mohd Daud Tampokong (instructed to cooperate with Chia) also received an enormous payment from another related account run by Chia and his associates, this time from a company based in the British Virgin Islands, Zenique Investments Ltd.
We question on what grounds the salaried civil servant in charge of managing Sabah’s timber concessions could legitimately accept a SD85,000 payments from an offshore British Virgin Island account?
Explanation needed? Why did Sabah's Forest Manager receive a SG85,000 payment from a BVI account in November 2006?
This evidence strongly corroborates allegations that Michael Chia was receiving kickbacks from timber companies receiving concessions from Yayasan Sabah, which had been authorised by Mohd Daud Tampokong, and that Chia was then forwarding money from his web of bank accounts to Musa and to the Forest Manager.
Musa Aman has till now distanced himself from this kickback investigation, in which case he needs to come up with convincing explanations about these payments.
Cover up
Protecting his powerful family and political allies? Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail
So far, the Chief Minister has been protected from prosecution, according to our sources, by the deliberate obstruction of the official investigation by Malaysia’s top law enforcement authority, the Attorney General.
Abdul Gani Patail is a fellow Sabahan and has close family connections with the Aman family and he has blocked the pressing of all charges.
We have learnt that the Hong Kong Anti-Corruption Commission investigators initially approached the Malaysian authorities in 2008 with a request for assistance in pursuing their enquiries after Michael Chia’s arrest.
However, the Attorney General refused to sign the necessary mutual legal assistance documents to enable inter-country cooperation on the case. We understand that Gani even went to Hong Kong seeking to negotiate with his opposite number there to close the case.
After 3 years the Hong Kong authorities were forced by statutory limitations to unfreeze the Chia accounts and shelve the investigation owing to Malaysia’s refusal to cooperate. The millions of dollars in these accounts were released towards the end of last year and it is believed a great deal of the money will be channelled into Sabah, in order to attempt to buy votes for UMNO/BN in the coming federal election.
MACC investigation was also blocked by Gani
A parallel MACC investigation, which unearthed huge amounts of information about Sabah timber kickbacks, has also been blocked.
The Malaysian investigators, who are understood to have been extremely thorough, took evidence from numerous business associates of Chia and timber traders, who admitted to paying kickbacks. The MACC is believed to have recommended that no less than 40 charges be brought against Sabah’s Chief Minister and yet once again the Attorney General has refused to recommend a prosecution of the case.
“The report with all the evidence is still sitting on his desk”, one source has told us.
This situation supports the clear frustration expressed publicly just last week by the MACC Deputy Commissioner, Mohd Shukri Abdull, who admitted that the Attorney-General has refused to bring many “valid cases”, claiming lack of evidence.
Sarawak Report has now received much of that evidence and over the coming days we will be sharing it with the public and inviting people to make their own judgement on the case which Malaysia’s Attorney General is refusing to bring to court.
Saya pun tidak tahu sebanyak mana kes ini adalah betul, jika MACC ada laporan yang beserta bukti, tidak mungkin mereka tidak mengambil tindakan.
BalasPadamTiada bukti kukuh berkenaan kes ini, rasanya cuma khabar angin sahaja.
PadamThe Sarawak Report claimed that their information is from trusted sources, but we do not know what sources is that and how true are their claims. Since they are not even professional journalist, merely ordinary citizens.
PadamSarawak Report is a website run by ordinary people with the sole purpose of bringing the downfall of Taib Mahmud and Musa Aman. They might even be biased when conveying the information.
PadamHarus membuat siasatan berdasarkan bukti. Harap ini bukan rekaan untuk menjatuhkah kuasa Musa.
Padamtiada bukti yang mengaitkan musa dengan dakwaan tersebut...
Padaminilah politik, pkara yang tidak tahu sejauhmana kebenarannya pun dijadikan isu.
PadamBaik kalau kes ini boleh disiast secara mendalam supaya boleh membuktikan kesahihan tuduhan ini. Selagi belum ada bukti, ini hanya satu khabar angin.
BalasPadamMusa said he will be willing to cooperate with the authorities if they wish to investigate this case further. I'm sure if MACC wanted to probe him, Musa will obliged. He has nothing to fear if he is innocent.
Padamseseorang itu tidak bersalah selagi tidak diputuskan bersalah dalam mahkamah...
Padamsetuju dengan ellron, selagi tidak terbukti seseorang itu adalah tidak bersalah.
PadamMusa Aman dah menafikan bahawa dia mempunyai sebarangn hubungan dgn Michael Chia. kes Chia tak perlu nak dikaitkan dgn beliau. lagipun tiada bukti yang mengaitkannya?
BalasPadamRasanya Datuk Musa tiada kaitan dengan kes Michael Chia..semua itu hanya tuduhan untuk menjatuhkan beliau.
PadamMichael Chia wanted to link himself to Musa so that the MACC will get off his back. I think the MACC should detain Michael Chia for probe.
Padamini mungkin cubaan untuk jejaskan imej Musa dan Anifah.
Padamberita2 yang disebarkan oleh Sarawak report tak boleh dipercayai, sebelum ini pun byk cerita palsu mereka sebarkan.
BalasPadamSarawak report hanya membuat adaian sahaja, tiada bukti yang kukuh untuk menyokong cerita ini.
PadamSarawak report memang suka buat cerita, apa lagi PRu semakin dekat ini.
PadamIts like taking coffee shop rumors and pass it up as gospel truth.
Padamya..isu yang dibangkitkan oleh SR ni memang boleh diragui.
PadamAnifah dan Musa mempunyai pencapaian yang baik dalam karier mereka, pasti ada pihak yang cemburu dan ingin menjatuhkan mereka
BalasPadamMestilah. Bukan senang2 mahu tumbangkan mereka. Tu semua cuma rekaan saja.
PadamCerita sebegini tidak akan menjatuhkan Anifah dan Musa.. pasti mereka kan buat lebih baik lagi.
PadamPihak yang membuat cerita ini bertujuan untuk menjatuhkan mereka.
PadamMaybe someone felt threatened by Musa's leadership in Sabah therefore they need to resort to dirty tactics to bring them down.
PadamJika Musa dan Ainifah tidak membuat salah, tidak perlu merisau dan membiarkan pihak SPRM membuat siasatan yang wajar untuk membuktikan dirinya.
PadamSabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri PangIima Musa Hj Aman puts it on record once again that he has no business association whatsoever with an individual named Michael Chia.
BalasPadamMichael Chia is only trying to link himself to Musa so that he can get out of being investigated by the MACC.
PadamThe RM16 million belongs to Michael Chia himself and no others.
PadamMusa telah memberikan keuntungan kepada Sabah lebih 1 bilion setiap tahun sejak beliau mengambil alih tampuk kerajaan negeri. jika beliau terlibat rasuah, Sabah takkan membangun seperti sekarang.
BalasPadamSabah semakin membangun di bawah pimpinan Datuk Musa, kita semakin baik daripada dulu.
PadamTuduhan rasuah terhadap beliau tidak logik langsung.
PadamBefore Musa took over, the Yayasan Sabah state reserves is almost dried from the reckless squandering of the previous CMs. But Musa managed to bring the reserves up.
PadamDevelopment is Musa responsibility and corruption is another issue that we need to overcome.
PadamNot faceless and nameless people who use blogs to serve their political interes
BalasPadamUmno will be BN’s backbone and to work hard to assure the ruling government stayed in power in Sabah. Umno and the component parties of BN will prove that BN is the best choice for the people through its continuous development programmes.
PadamBN akan menang besar pada PRU13 nanti, cerita2 ini tidak akan menjatuhkan BN.
PadamWho knows how trustworthy is Sarawak Report which is run by ordinary people like you and me. Where are their so called trusted sources? They have only one main purpose to set up this Sarawak Report, not to spread the truth, but to cause Taib and Musa's downfall.
PadamBerita ini tujuannya hanya untuk menjatuhkan imej baik datuk Musa, tetapi rakyat tidak akan mudah percaya dengan cerita ini.
BalasPadamWell, Musa already denied that he has anything to do with Michael Chia. He also stated that he is not involved in the allegations.
Padammemang pun...dekat2 pilihanraya banyak cerita2 ditimbulkan untuk menjatuhkan kredibiliti dan imej musa aman..
PadamJust talk and will be just like the smoke and the issue will be forgotten one day. True or not ? Only God knows.
BalasPadamPeople bring it up over and over again for some reason only known to them.
PadamSabah Chief Minister responds to allegations
BalasPadamKOTA KINABALU: Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri PangIima Musa Hj Aman puts it on record once again that he has no business association whatsoever with an individual named Michael Chia.
"I deny all these allegations. I have no business relationship with this person," he said in a statement today. Musa said these allegations are trumped up by his political opponents and desperate individuals who will resort to anything to gain political mileage especially since election is around the corner."It is unfortunate that there are people out there who will keep using recycled allegations to get to the top when election is near. The people of Sabah can decide on my track record. Not faceless and nameless people who use blogs to serve their political interest." Musa said he would give his full cooperation to the authorities if needed but in the meantime his responsibility is to ensure the well being and development of Sabah. Musa said he did not have the time to refute these frivolous allegations adding that his first priority was to serve the people of Sabah and administer a state.
musa sudah menjelaskan pendirian beliau di mana beliau difitnah oleh pihak2 tertentu untuk menjatuhkan beliau dan kerajaan BN..
Padamsemenjak musa aman menjadi KM sabah, pembangunan sabah semakin pesat dan kedudukan ekonomi sabah semakin kukuh..
BalasPadamapa pun, sokongan terhadap Musa tetap kuat kerana sumbangannya terhadap ekonomi dan pembangunan negeri Sabah.
BalasPadamMungkin masih ramai yang meragukan perkara ini, ini kerana masih belum ada kesahihan yang boleh membuktikan kebenaran dalam kes ini. Mungkin semua ini cuma rekaan semata-mata untuk menjatuhkan Datuk Musa sebagai seorang KM Sabah.
BalasPadamSemua ini cuma permainan yang direka oleh pembangkang untuk menjatuhkan Datuk Musa Aman. Apa yang pasti kita perlulah menilai sendiri mengenai pelbagai isu yang dibangkitkan. Semua ini pasti ada sebab tersendiri yang dibuat oleh pembangkang. Datuk Musa Aman yang mana lebih memberikan yang terbaik kepada Sabah menyebabkan ada pihak yang tidak suka akan usaha dan kejayaan beliau.
BalasPadamSiapakah yang pandai-pandai mereka cerita sebegini. Harap pihak tersebut tampil dan serahkan bukti. Tidak ada guna bercakap kosong dalam media. Mainan kotor ini memang tidak patut dilakukan.
BalasPadamKhabar angin ini sebenarnya direka-reka saja. Yang terbaru Datuk Anifah Aman telah membuat penafian berhubung kenyataan ini yang mana beliau tidak pernah pun disiasat oleh SPRM. Tambahan lagi beliau terkejut dengan kenyataan tersebut.
BalasPadamMedia hanya tahu memberikan berita sama ada yang buruk, yang tidak benar dan tanpa ada bukti yang benar. Itulah yang sebenarnya berlaku dengan media pembangkang sekarang yang hanya suka memberikan pelbagai isu negatif yang berkaitan dengan kerajaan.
BalasPadamTanpa ada bukti ICAC tidak dapat buat apa-apa. Maka ini menandakan yang mana Datuk Musa Aman tidak terlibat dan tidak bersalah dengan kes Michael Chia. Semua itu cuma permainan dari politik pihak lain yang ingin menjatuhkan Datuk Musa Aman. Sehingga sekarang Datuk Musa tetap berjuang walaupun pelbagai permainan fitnah di buat.
BalasPadamMichael Chia saja yang cuba mengaitkan pemimpin Sabah dalam hal ini. Maka kita tidak boleh percaya dengan cara sebegini.
BalasPadamMichael Chia yang ditahan di Hongkong mengenai wang haram itu tidak ada kena mengena dengan Pemimpin Sabah yang lain. Ini kerana tidak ada bukti yang mengatakan pemimpin Sabah terlibat.
pengasas lamanweb Sarawak Report adalah Claire, bukan orang tempatan Sarawak dan bukan juga warga negara Malaysia. apakah agenda Claire sehingga mencampuri urusan pentadbiran negeri yang tidak ada kena mengena dengan dirinya? dia tidak akan melakukannya secara percuma, ada sesuatu disebalik tindakannya itu..
BalasPadamsiapa yang kerap mengikuti siri tuduhan yang dibuat oleh Sarawak Report pasti akan perasan bahawa lamanweb ini sentiasa menggunakan dokumen SSM.. kemungkinan besar dokumen SSM itu hanya satu sahaja tetapi telah diubah suai berkali2 mengikut kesesuaian tuduhan..
BalasPadamkemudian mereka akan cuba meyakinkan pembaca kononnya mereka mempunyai dokumen sebenar atau dokumen lain yang akan didedahkan dikemudian hari, tapi malangnya mereka tidak akan mendedahkan dokumen itu.. kalau ada pun dokumen yang didedahkan, ia tidak berkaitan langsung dengan tuduhan asal..
bagaimana Sarawak Report mampu memperolehi penyata bank itu?? adakah bank sekarang tidak mampu lagi menjaga maklumat sulit para pelanggannya?? atau lebih tepat tidak ada jaminan keselamatan simpanan kita di mana2 bank?? atau mungkin Sarawak Report menggunakan dokumen palsu atau yang telah diubah suai memandangkan dokumen itu bukan senang untuk diperolehi oleh pihak lain??
BalasPadamkecanggihan perisian teknologi maklumat sekarang, wajah manusia pun begitu mudah untuk dibuat super-imposed, apalagi terhadap paparan SSM atau penyata bank yang begitu mudah untuk diputarbelitkan.
BalasPadambolehkah Sarawak Report menunjukkan bukti nyata daripada semua dakwaan lamannya itu? mengapa kita harus percaya laporan yang diolah seperti satu wayang untuk mengalihkan perhatian kita daripada keaslian kandungan dokumen yang dipaparkan oleh mereka?
MACC, ICAC dan pihak bank yang terlibat perlu tampil memberikan penjelasan.. adakah telah menjadi amalan mereka mendedahkan dokumen2 sulit kepada orang ramai?? adakah menjadi amalan bagi pegawai2 mereka menjual dokumen2 itu kepada orang luar??
BalasPadam