22 Aug 2008 (Malaysiakini)
Lee Way Loon and Rahmah Ghazali
Four DAP leaders today lodged a police report against Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman for allegedly being involved in a RM16 million smuggling scandal following the arrest of his foster brother in Hong Kong last week.
“It does not matter if Musa has denied his involvement and the Permatang Pauh by-election is going on, the police and the ACA should proceed with the investigation against him,” DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said.
Kota Kinabalu MP Dr Hiew King Chiew, Sri Tanjong assemblyperson Jimmy Wong together with party stalwarts Kit Siang and Lim Lip Eng lodged the report at Dang Wangi police station at 11.30 this morning.
DAP’s police report was based on a Malaysia Today report which said Musa’s foster brother, Michael Chia, had been arrested on his way to Kuala Lumpur carrying RM16 million cash in a bag, purportedly for use in Barisan Nasional’s Permatang Pauh by-election campaign.
“According to a reliable source in the Hong Kong police and Interpol, they had been keeping an eye on Micheal for the past three years. In the end, he was caught red-handed with Singaporean currency worth RM16 million placed in his suitcase,” web-portal Malaysia Today said.
The report also said Michael had pleaded with the police to release him as the money belonged to Musa and he was only the ‘agent’ smuggling in the money.
“Musa was fuming about Michael’s arrest and worried he would be arrested as well. To add insult to injury, Musa’s bank accounts in Hong Kong were frozen immediately, ” the report added.
‘Is the money illegal?’
Kit Siang, who is also MP for Ipoh Timur, urged police to act swiftly against the chief minister and emulate the Anti-Corruption Agency’s action against Perak executive councillors who were recently arrested for alleged graft.
He said apart from the police, the ACA as an independent body should also take a hand in the case.
Kota Kinabalu MP Hiew also raised doubts about the source of the money – where it came from and what it was actually meant for.
“The police and ACA should investigate where the money came from and what it is for. Does it come from any illegal way?” questioned Hiew, adding that the latest allegation against Musa would tarnish the image of Sabahans.
“We always say the Sabahans are poor, but then we have a report saying the chief minister owned RM16 million, this will definitely give a bad impression from the people in the peninsula on us,” said Hiew.
Lip Eng, DAP parliamentarian for Segambut, also suggested the police held Musa’s passport so as to be fair to the recently arrested Perak excos, whose travel documents were impounded.