Musa allowed bail at RM2 million

KUALA LUMPUR: The Sessions Court here yesterday allowed former Sabah Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman, who is facing 35 corruption charges on timber concession contracts in the state amounting to US$63,293,924 (RM263,460,962.313), to go on bail at RM2 million in two sureties.

Judge Rozina Ayob ordered Musa, 67, to pay RM1 million yesterday and RM1 million tomorrow, and to surrender his diplomatic and international passports to the court until the case is settled.

“The accused has to be in the peninsula until the full sum of the bail is paid up,” she said and later, set Dec 13 for mention of the Sungai Sibuga assemblyman’s case. For all the charges, Musa is accused of soliciting bribes from eight timber concession company owners and the offences were committed in eight financial institutions in Hong Kong and Singapore.

For the first to the third charges, he is accused as an agent of the Sabah state government as Sabah Chief Minister cum Sabah Foundation Board of Trustees chairman, for seeking bribes for himself amounting to US$131,578.00, US$921,052.00 and US$263,000.00 from Lim Nyuk Foh through Citi Bank and HSBC Bank accounts under the name of Chia Tien Foh, as an inducement to grant Sabah timber concession contracts to Syarikat Bountiful Returns Sdn Bhd.

Musa is accused of committing the three charges at Citi Bank, Kowloon, in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic Of China and in HSBC Bank, Ocean Tower Branch, Singapore on Dec 20, 2004 and on Feb 17, 2005.

For the fourth and fifth charges, he is accused in the same capacity of soliciting bribes for himself amounting US$1,295,336.00 and US$388,601.00 from Looh Chai Boon via JP Morgan Chase Manhattan Bank account under the name Nasir Yeo Guan Hock, as an inducement for the similar deals for Syarikat Segar Tepat Sdn Bhd and JV Lestari Sdn Bhd, at JP Morgan Chase Manhattan Bank, in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic Of China, on Sept 11, 2005 and Oct 31, 2005.

For the sixth to the 12th charges, Musa is accused of soliciting bribes for himself amounting to US$2,590,673.00, US$64,766.83, US$1,308,900.52, US$524,934.38, US$393,700.00, US$393,700.78 and  US$395,778.36 from Looh via HSBC Bank account under the name of Chia as inducement for awarding concession to the company at HSBC Bank, Claymore Plaza, Singapore on Dec 12, 2005 until March 16, 2006.

According to the 13th charge, he is accused of the same offence totalling US$5,291,005.29 from Looh via JP Morgan Chase Manhattan Bank account under the name Nasir as inducement for similar acts for Syarikat Segar Tepat Sdn Bhd and JV Lestari Sdn Bhd, at JP Morgan Chase Manhattan Bank, in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic Of China, on March 24, 2006.

In charges 14th to 16th, Musa is accused as a government agent to obtain bribes for himself amounting to US$16,148,547.00, US$1,047,153.00 and US$3,134,128.16 from Chia through UBS AG account under the name of Richard Christopher Barnes, as inducement to favour Syarikat Tamabina Sdn Bhd, Syarikat Sabapoineer Sdn Bhd and Syarikat Danagaya Sdn Bhd, at UBS AG Bank, Central, in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic Of China, between June 21 and July 16, 2006.

For charge 17th, Musa is accused of soliciting bribes amounting to US$2,180,673.83 from Mazlan Zakaria via UBS AG account under the name of Richard Christopher Barnes to facilitate Syarikat LR Enterprise Sdn Bhd, Lembah Mayang Sdn Bhd and Fast Progress Sdn Bhd at UBS AG Bank, Central, in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic Of China, on Aug 20, 2006.

For charge 18th, he is accused as a government agent who solicited bribes amounting to US$4,044,956.82 from Lo Man Heng through UBS AG account under the name of Richard Christopher Barnes, as an inducement to favour Syarikat Maju Sinar Network Sdn Bhd at UBS AG Bank, Central, in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic Of China, on Aug 22, 2006.

In the 19th charge, he is accused as a government agent by accepting bribes amounting to US$518,681.74 from Mazlan via UBS AG  account under the name of Richard Christopher Barnes, as inducement for similar deals for Syarikat LR Enterprise Sdn Bhd, Lembah Mayang Sdn Bhd and Fast Progress Sdn Bhd at UBS AG Bank, Central, in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic Of China, on Nov 7, 2006.

For charges 20th to 21st, he is accused as a government agent for soliciting bribes amounting to US$108,108.00 and US$507,636.00 from Looh in the name of Chia, as inducement to favour Syarikat Eden Region Sdn Bhd and Gasing Selatan Sdn Bhd, at Credit Suisse Raffles Place, Singapore on Nov 16 2006 and Feb 14, 2007.

For charge 22nd, Musa was accused of soliciting bribes for himself as an agent of the government amounting to US$895,000.00 from Mazlan via UBS AG account under the name of Richard Christopher Barnes, as inducement to award concessions to Syarikat LR Enterprise Sdn Bhd, Lembah Mayang Sdn Bhd and Fast Progress Sdn Bhd at UBS AG Bank, Central, in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic Of China, on March 21, 2007.

In charge 23rd, Musa was accused as a government agent who solicit bribes for himself amounting to US$28,570.00 from Looh under the name of Chia as inducement for timber concessions for Syarikat Eden Region Sdn Bhd and Gasing Selatan Sdn Bhd, at Credit Suisse Raffles Place, Singapore, on May 2, 2007.

For charges 24th to 25th, he is accused as a government agent for soliciting bribes amounting US$1,624,432.50 and US$7,300,000.00 from Nasir via an account under the name of Richard Christopher Barnes, as inducement for same deal to Syarikat Innokinta Sdn Bhd, Segar Tepat Sdn Bhd, JV Lestari Sdn Bhd, Eden Region Sdn Bhd and Gasing Selatan Sdn Bhd, at UBS AG Bank, Central, in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic Of China, on June 8, 2007.

For charges 26th to the 28th, Musa is accused as a government agent of accepting bribes amounting to US$862,000.00, US$ 778, 443.00 and US$3,044,140.00 from Looh through UBS AG account under the name of Richard Christopher Barnes and through Fortis Private Banking from Looh as inducement for Syarikat Tetap Simfoni Sdn Bhd at UBS AG Bank, Central, in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic Of China, on July 20 2007 and at Fortis Private Banking, Singapore, on Feb 19, 2008.

In the 29th charge, he is accused as a government agent of soliciting bribes for himself amounting to US$650,000.00 from Nip Wing Hon at UBS AG under the name of Richard Christopher Barnes, as inducement to favour Syarikat Asiatic Lumber Industries Sdn Bhd at UBS AG Bank, Central, in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic Of China, on Feb 29, 2008.

For charges 30 to 32, Musa is accused as a government agent who solicited bribes of US$3,120,125.00, US$1,238,767.48 and US$20,013.89 from Ngui Ing Chuang via UBS AG account under the name of Ark Capital Technologies Ltd, as inducement to award concession to Syarikat Eramewa Sdn Bhd at UBS AG Bank, Raffles Place, Singapore, on March 3 and 4, 2008.

In charge 33 and 34, he is accused as a government agent by soliciting bribes for himself amounting to  US$406,250.00  and US$311,332.50 from Looh via an account under the name of Richard Christopher Barnes, as inducement to grant timber concessions to Syarikat Tetap Simfoni Sdn Bhd at UBS AG Bank, Central, in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic Of China, on March 20 and 25, 2008.

For charge 35, he is accused as a government agent of soliciting bribes for himself amounting to US$1,361,939.80 from Ngui Ing Chuang via UBS AG account under the name of Starwater Corporation Ltd to induce the granting timber concession to Syarikat Eramewa Sdn Bhd at UBS AG Bank, Raffles Place, Singapore, on Nov 6, 2008.

The charges for all accusations were presented under Section 11(a) of the Corruption Prevention Act 1997 and could be punished under Section 16 of the same Act which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and fine not less than five times of the amount or value of the bribe upon conviction. — Bernama