Musa’s defence given 2 months to apply to transfer case to High Court

KUALA LUMPUR: The Sessions Court here yesterday gave two months for the defence in a corruption case involving former Sabah Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman, who is facing 35 charges involving US$ 63,293,924 ( RM263,460,962.313), to file their application to transfer the case to the High Court.

Judge Rozina Ayob gave the time frame after lawyer Francis Ng Aik Guan, representing Musa, informed the court that the defence had yet to decide on transferring the case to the High Court as they were still waiting for the documents on the case from the prosecution.

The court then set Feb 20 next year for mention to know the development on the matter.

Earlier, the prosecution, conducted by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran informed the court that the prosecution had submitted some of the documents to the defence and required time to submit the remaining documents.

She said the prosecution would not object if the defence wanted to apply to transfer the case to the High Court.

On Nov 5, Musa claimed trial to 35 counts of graft over timber concessions in Sabah involving US$ 63.3 million.

On all the charges, he was alleged, in his capacity as the Sabah Chief Minister, to have obtained the gratification for himself from eight timber concessionaires in Sabah and the offences were committed at eight financial institutions in Hong Kong and Singapore between Dec 20, 2004 and Nov 6, 2008.

The charges were made under Section 11( a) of the AntiCorruption Act 1997 for accepting gratification by agent and punishable under Section 16 of the same law.

Musa faced an imprisonment for up to 20 years and fine of not less than five times the amount of the gratification, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if found guilty. — Bernama