LDP: Speed up money-laundering investigation

Casey Lee

A Sabah BN leader is of the view that the MACC is allowing 'current leaders involved in corruption' to run free.

KOTA KINABALU: The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a Sabah Barisan Nasional coalition component, wants the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to speed up its money-laundering investigation involving Chief Minister Musa Aman.

Lending credence that a snap general election may be announced soon, LDP deputy president Chin Su Phin said the troubling matter should be settled before Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak calls for national polls.

Chin used the recent announcement by MACC that it had launched an investigation against Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, as the reason for making the call, although it is widely known that LDP is out of step with the Musa administration and is likely to be shunned during the horse-trading for seats in the run-up to the election.

Alluding to MACC’s probe on Taib, he also said that it was unseemly for Taib to claim innocence and the mere fact that he was under investigation should be enough for him to step aside until after he is cleared.

On the MACC investigation on Musa, there has been no new development into the alleged money-laundering case that took many by surprise when it was first exposed in late 2008 and was met with silence by top politicians as well as the investigative authorities.

According to Chin, the case allegedly involved several local leaders but they were merely playing a supporting role while the MACC had failed to catch the main culprit that “is still lurking in the background”.

“We Sabahans also wish to know the development of this case.

“I hope MACC will complete its investigation on the people involved in corruption and money- laundering in Sabah and Sarawak, and take them to court before the 13th general election,” he said during the party’s annual general meeting here.

“MACC is actively combating corruption. But what we see is that those who are brought to court were former leaders, while current leaders involved in corruption are still running free.

“The people have been complaining that MACC is overlooking the major players who are involved in corruption,” he added.

Musa link

Musa’s name first surfaced as a suspect in the alleged money-laundering case when a supposed nominee, Michael Chia, was arrested at the Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong in August 2008.

Chia was arrested for allegedly attempting to carry S$16 million in cash out of the country, which was believed to be used for the Permatang Pauh by-election at the time.

The case had since been under investigation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) which sent three officers to Kota Kinabalu in November 2008 to investigate the source of the money.

The Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC’s predecessor) investigations director at the time, Mohd Shukri Abdul, confirmed that the ICAC had sought MACC’s help.

MACC later launched its own investigation which saw a senior lawyer being detained for questioning and his office raided.

Both Chia and Musa denied knowing each other, but Chia is believed to have cordial relations with the chief minister and has often been seen in his company at social gatherings.