Hong Kong's renowned Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has refused to divulge any details over its investigations into the RM40 million fiasco in which it reportedly cleared Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman of money laundering.
In reply to Malaysiakini following a query made on Tuesday, ICAC curtly thanked the news portal for the enquiry.
"We appreciate your understanding that we would not comment on individual cases," said its senior press information officer Cecily Chik in a brief statement.
Malaysiakini was inquiring whether the ICAC had indeed cleared Musa and had closed its investigations with regards to the RM40 million found on businessman Michael Chia (right in photo) in Hong Kong, supposedly earmarked for Musa (left in photo).
It was reported that ICAC had interrogated Musa and he was cleared by the Hong Kong graft-busters. This revelation was madeby Sabah Umno secretary Abdul Rahman Dahlan.
De facto law minister Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz was also quoted as saying the money was for Sabah Umno and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had said that no element of corruption was proven.
BMF wants ICAC to reveal probe status
Meanwhile, the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) has revealed that the ICAC also refused to provide information on the status of its investigations against Musa.
"BMF calls on the ICAC to inform openly the status and the results of its investigations. BMF is disappointed that the ICAC is not living up to international transparency standards in such a matter of highest public concern and calls on the Hong Kong authorities to openly inform the status and the results of their investigation".
"BMF also called on the Malaysian government to provide evidence that Hong Kong's anti-corruption watchdog, the ICAC, cleared Musa and found no elements of corruption with Musa's financial deals with Swiss Bank UBS in Hong Kong," the NGO said in a statement.
It further added the Hong Kong's authorities led an investigation into Musa's financial transactions there after Chia, who is the chief minister's close associate, was arrested on Aug 14, 2008 with huge sums of Singapore currency (S$13 million, amounting to RM40 million) at the Hong Kong airport.
In reply to Malaysiakini following a query made on Tuesday, ICAC curtly thanked the news portal for the enquiry.
"We appreciate your understanding that we would not comment on individual cases," said its senior press information officer Cecily Chik in a brief statement.
Malaysiakini was inquiring whether the ICAC had indeed cleared Musa and had closed its investigations with regards to the RM40 million found on businessman Michael Chia (right in photo) in Hong Kong, supposedly earmarked for Musa (left in photo).It was reported that ICAC had interrogated Musa and he was cleared by the Hong Kong graft-busters. This revelation was madeby Sabah Umno secretary Abdul Rahman Dahlan.
De facto law minister Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz was also quoted as saying the money was for Sabah Umno and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had said that no element of corruption was proven.
BMF wants ICAC to reveal probe status
Meanwhile, the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) has revealed that the ICAC also refused to provide information on the status of its investigations against Musa.
"BMF calls on the ICAC to inform openly the status and the results of its investigations. BMF is disappointed that the ICAC is not living up to international transparency standards in such a matter of highest public concern and calls on the Hong Kong authorities to openly inform the status and the results of their investigation".
"BMF also called on the Malaysian government to provide evidence that Hong Kong's anti-corruption watchdog, the ICAC, cleared Musa and found no elements of corruption with Musa's financial deals with Swiss Bank UBS in Hong Kong," the NGO said in a statement.
It further added the Hong Kong's authorities led an investigation into Musa's financial transactions there after Chia, who is the chief minister's close associate, was arrested on Aug 14, 2008 with huge sums of Singapore currency (S$13 million, amounting to RM40 million) at the Hong Kong airport.
However, Abdul Rahman has disputed this.
“There was never any arrest at the airport, or bringing millions in bags or smuggling into Sabah," he told Parliament on Monday.
BMF also claimed that according to leaked ICAC papers, Musa and his associates had laundered over US$90 million through the same bank accounts in Singapore, Hong Kong and Zurich.
On Aug 29, 2012, BMF said the Swiss attorney-general opened an investigation against UBS over suspected money laundering on behalf of Musa and his associates and this investigation is on-going.
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