Malaysia’s attempts to cover up the scandal over the international money laundering of illegal timber money by Sabah’s Chief Minister, Musa Aman, is beginning to unravel.
Following our release of several of the highly incriminating documents that have come into our possession relating to the case, a number of international bodies have started to take a closer look at the evidence.
It is evidence, which Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail has been determined to ignore (see related stories – Sabah Scandal).
In particular, interest has started to focus on the role played by Switzerland’s largest bank UBS, which operated a complex web of international accounts on behalf of Musa and his accomplices.
Just under a hundred million dollars were funnelled through these UBS managed accounts to its final destination, which was a bank account in Zurich under Musa’s own name. Along the way, his sons utilised some of the accounts to finance their education expenses in Australia.
Questions come back to haunt UBS
It is UBS’s role in facilitating Musa Aman that is likely to make sure that this scandal does not go away for him and his allies in BN, despite their desperate cover up.
MP Carlo Sommaruga issued a series of questions today to the Swiss Parliament in Berne, concerned by the apparent involvement by Switzerland’s largest bank in such highly suspicious transactions.
According to the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), he requested in particular to know what criminal charges were involved, following revelations that the Swiss Attorney General’s office has cooperated with the Hong Kong authorities’ requests for information in respect of the Musa Aman case.
He also asked 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.
Freeze Taib’s assets
Furthermore, BMF says, 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.
Legal experts are now looking at this matter and both Mr Aman, who has accused Sarawak Report of defamation and UBS should have plenty of concerns about how they are going to set about explaining the millions of dollars that wended around the world, including the United States, on their way to Zurich.