SHAH ALAM, 27 Feb: PKR urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to reopen investigations against the Chief Minister of Sabah, Datuk Seri Musa Aman, in the RM40 million case associated with funds collected from timber companies because evidence of fund transfers involve businessman, Michael Chia.
The PKR Strategy Director, Rafizi Ramli, said that the investigation should be opened following the prison and canning sentence passed on Michael Chia in the case involving logging permits in the state.
Pointing to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) success in securing Chia’s conviction yesterday, he encouraged the graft-busters to now divert their resources to renew scrutiny on the RM40 million the tycoon had funnelled to Musa, which was deemed to be “political contributions” to Umno in 2012.
“This is a major case that shows how logging permits were abused by politicians and public officials to build personal wealth.
“The guilty conviction against Michael Chia raises the question of who was behind it, since he does not have any government post and also does not have the authority to issue any logging permits.
“Yet, the fact that he could collect monies from these timber companies gave the impression that the companies knew that Chia was a middleman for certain parties who had the power to influence the awarding of timber permits,” Rafizi said.
Rafizi said that MACC and Hong Kong’s anti-graft authority, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, had provided information that there was indeed a transfer of RM40 million but did not pursue the case as corruption as it was said to be a donation for Sabah Umno.
The Pandan MP also said that Chia’s conviction was a “slap on the face” for Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz, who was said to have had links with the businessman, especially after it was exposed that Nazri’s son had used Chia’s luxury car.
“What more when Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz had declared in Parliament that there was no element of corruption in the cases involving Datuk Seri Musa Aman and Michael Chia,” he added.
Previously, Rafizi reported Nazri and his family to the MACC, accusing Chia of giving the minister’ son a luxury car to free himself from charges of corruption.
Rafizi also showed seven spy videos as further evidence to the video showing Nedim, Nazri’s son, and his family using CHia’s luxury vehicle.
“While the decision against Michael Chia is a good improvement shown by the MACC, the people are observing if the MACC would prosecute high-ranking civil servants who were also involved.
“Otherwise, MACC will always be seen as going after small fry and letting the big fish get away,” he said.
