KOTA KINABALU: The Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants in Sabah yesterday heard a deposition that Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman has denied all allegations linking him to Project IC made by a witness in its proceeding last week.
Former State Attorney General, Datuk Anthony Roderick Fernandez, appeared before the commission and informed the five-men panel that he was representing Musa to file an application for notes of proceeding pertaining to the allegation.
“A witness, Dr Chong Eng Leong, has made some serious allegations against the Chief Minister. I would like for it to be noted that my client denies every allegation on his involvement in Project IC,” he said.
Fernandez also told the Commission that Musa will decide on his next course of action after reading the extract and may elect to appear before the panel to give his own testimony.
Dr Chong, a former senator and state assemblyman, testified last week that Musa had led a Sabah Umno task force to find foreigners to be registered as party members to vote for Barisan Nasional. He claimed to have received this information from one Jabar Khan, who was the secretary of the said task force formed in 1991.
Commission chairman Tan Sri Steve Shim, granted Fernandez’s application, saying the extract on the notes of proceeding will be given to be examined by the Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, conducting officer, Manoj Kurup, informed the panel that Dr Chong has made a request following his testimony last week to have a bundle of supporting documents submitted as evidence and examined by the Commission.
“We have looked through the bundles and decided that two of them, which contain a collection of newspaper cuttings and exhibits from the Likas election petition, were relevant and shall be marked as exhibits for this Inquiry,” said Manoj.
The Commission resumed its proceedings with three more witnesses called to testify yesterday, bringing the total to 192 so far.
At least six more witnesses are expected to be called in the next two days, including Melalap assemblyman cum Rural Development Minister Datuk Radin Malleh.