Musa Aman claims trial to 16 counts of money laundering

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman was charged in the Sessions Court here yesterday with 16 counts of money laundering amounting to US$ 37.8 million and SG$ 2.5 million between June 2006 and May 2008.

Musa, 68, however, pleaded not guilty after all the charges were read out by two interpreters before Judge Rozina Ayob.

“I claim trial,” said Musa who was sitting in the dock, as his lawyer Francis Ng Aik Guan had earlier requested that Musa be allowed to sit due to health problems.

According to the first charge, Musa was alleged to have instructed Richard Christopher Barnes, 67, to open an account at UBS AG Bank, Singapore, under the name of Richard Christopher Barnes, to receive proceeds from illegal activities on June 21, 2006.

Alternatively, Musa was also accused of instructing Barnes to open the account to purportedly conceal the fact that the bank account owned by him ( Musa) to receive proceeds of illegal activities, at the same place and time.

For the second to 15th counts, Musa was accused of receiving US$ 16,148,547 and US$ 1,047,153 respectively from Chia Tien Foh; US$ 2,702,702 and US$ 2,180,673 from Young Generation Corp; US$ 4,044,956.82 from Lo Man Heng; US$ 518,681.74 and US$ 895,000 from Mazlan Zakaria; US$ 7,300,000 and SG$ 2,500,000 respectivelyfromAxonGroupLtd; US$ 862,000 and US$ 778,443 from Well Capital Finance Limited; US$ 650,000 from Innovative Information Ltd; US$ 406,003.29 from Portland Trading Pte Ltd, and US$ 311,332.50 from Well Capital Finance Limited, through Barnes’ bank account and believed to be proceeds from illegal activities.

Meanwhile, for the 16th count, Musa was accused to have instructed Barnes to transfer all of his assets and future inflows, believed to be proceeds from illegal activities from Barnes’ bank account to his personal account at UBS AG Bank in Zurich, Switzerland.

For the second until 16th charges, Musa was accused of committing the offences at UBS AG Bank, in Hong Kong, China, between June 21, 2006 and May 14, 2008.

All the charges were framed under Section 4(1) ( b) of the AntiMoney Laundering, Prevention of Terrorism Financing and Proceeds from Unlawful Activities Act 2001, which provides a maximum jail term of 15 years and a fine of five times the value of the proceeds of illegal activities or RM5 million, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran applied for the court to use the RM2 million bail imposed on Musa when he was charged with 35 counts of soliciting bribes last year and for the cases to be tried together.

The court allowed Musa to use his previous bail in two sureties and set April 15 for case management.

Meanwhile, Ng informed the court that his client had received a letter from the Independent Commission Against Corruption of Hong Kong ( ICAC) dated Dec 22, 2011.

“The letter stated that the commission has completed its inquiry into Musa and the deputy ICAC commissioner agreed that no further investigation would be carried out. We will file an application in the High Court.

“We just want to indicate to the court that this is a precursor of what we will be applying at the High Court,” he added. — Bernama