CORRUPTION : Swiss MP questions UBS’ role in Malaysian timber corruption scandal
(BERNE, SWITZERLAND)3 mai 2012: Carlo Sommaruga, social democrat MP for Geneva, has today filed a number of questions in the Swiss parliament on an international money-laundering affair involving Musa Aman, the Chief Minister of the Malaysian state of Sabah, and the Swiss bank UBS. The MP’s move follows recent media reports, according to which over 90 million US dollars of timber-business-related kickbacks have been laundered by the UBS subsidiary in Hong Kong. Switzerland’s Attorney General and the Federal Office of Justice confirmed that Swiss authorities provided legal assistance and sent the case files to law enforcement agencies in Hong Kong in March 2011.
Questions submitted in Parliament by Sommaruga are aimed at revealing more details on the Swiss legal assistance given to Hong Kong in the UBS case. The MP is asking the Swiss government to reveal which criminal charges the legal assistance given by Switzerland concerned, whether the Swiss government had been approached by Malaysian law enforcement agencies on the matter and whether Switzerland would also be willing to provide legal assistance to Malaysia.
Furthermore, MP Carlo Sommaruga is pressuring the Swiss government to freeze assets held by Musa Aman and by other Malaysian potentates, such as Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud and his family members. He also asked what safeguards within the envisaged Free Trade Agreement between EFTA, the European Free Trade Association, and Malaysia would prevent Malaysian corruption proceeds from flowing to Switzerland.
Last month, a series of investigative pieces by Sarawak Report on Musa Aman’s secret bank accounts with UBS in Hong Kong caused a stir in Malaysia. According to the whistleblower website, Musa had cashed in millions of dollars of kickbacks in return for logging concessions granted by Yayasan Sabah, a public body headed by the Sabah Chief Minister. It is believed that the permits granted by Musa have contributed to seriously damaging the habitats of orang utans and other endangered animals in Borneo’s tropical rainforests. The Bruno Manser Fund is currently examining whether UBS’ conduct is in breach of Swiss anti-corruption and anti-money-laundering regulations.
Musa Aman has stopped the logging monopoly in Sabah which was promised to Michael Chia's family. If he was so concerned about logging profits, why would he turn his back on the logging monopoly contract?
BalasPadamMaybe this is why Michael Chia is angry with the Sabah Chief Minister because the CM did the right thing to stop the monopoly contract.
PadamJika ada bukti, bawalah kes ini ke mahkamah dan membiarkan mahkamah yang menentukannya.
PadamMusa is the only Chief Minister in Sabah who has place effort in forestry reserves. There have been a good achievement by the Forestry Department in conserving nature and wildlife. These logging scandal was said to happen in Musa Aman's earlier career, there are hardly any scandal news recently other than these recycled news are they?
BalasPadamIts true that the logging scandal happens on the earlier years when Musa first became the Chief Minister, but the people are still focused on the same issues in the past, which are not even proven
PadamAlthough Sabah focused on logging industry but the State government give back to the environment by stopping the logging and mining activities in Danum Valley, Imbak Canyon and Maliau Basin.
BalasPadamI have read about imbak canyon, the description about that place is amazing. Nestled between the Maliau Basin and Danum Valley which is important buffer zone for wildlife. There are 200 species of birds live there, and also there have pygmy elephants, leopards, bear and many more.
PadamYayasan Sabah joint venture with Patronas to gather information about the area will be give more attention in tourism sector.
The swiss bank have their own act which is not going to give any detail of their customers. The secrecy act will not allowing the bank to reveal any of their account holder details. How on earth these people asking details from the swiss bank??
BalasPadamBoleh percaya atau tidak tu?? Bukan setiap pekerja bank tidak boleh mendedahkan maklumat clients mereka..
BalasPadamtak perlu nak percaya dakwaan ini selagi bukti kukuh belum ada. lagipun tak ada pun tindakan diambl oleh SPRM dan MACC keatas Musa.
BalasPadamTuduhan ini masih perlu disahkan lagi.
BalasPadamKita tahu akan isu yang direka-reka ini. Semua ini cuma khabar angin yang direka oleh pihak tertentu. Maka kita tidak boleh percaya sangat dengan perkara ini. Tidak ada bukti yang kukuh dapat menguatkan dakwaan ini.
BalasPadamsehingga hari ini belum ada apa2 tindakan dikenakan terhadap Musa Aman.. oleh itu saya beranggapan bahawa Musa tidak terlibat dengan skandal kayu balak di negeri ini.. semua ini hanya mainan politik pihak pembangkang dan Sarawak Report..
BalasPadamjika benar la dakwaan ini, kenapa bukan pemimpin2 pembangkang negara ini sahaja yang dedahkan?? kenapa perlu lamanweb asing yang dedahkan?? atau mungkin pemimpin2 pembangkang negara ini tahu bahawa semua ini hanya pembohongan, oleh sebab itu mereka menggunakan lamanweb asing untuk lakukan kerja2 jahat ini memandangkan kerajaan dan undang2 Malaysia tidak mampu melakukan apa2 terhadap lamanweb yang beroperasi di luar negara ini??
BalasPadam