PETALING JAYA: Former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman today claimed trial to 16 money laundering charges involving US$37 million (RM150.9 million).
The charges were filed under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
Musa, 68, pleaded not guilty after all the charges were read out to him before sessions court judge Rozina Ayob.
He was accused of committing the offences between June 2006 and March 2008 at UBS bank branches in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Musa was accused of ordering Richard Christopher Barnes to open a bank account with UBS AG in Singapore on June 21, 2016 in the first charge.
In the second to 15th charges, Musa was said to have received more than US$37 million from individuals and companies between June 21, 2006, and March 25, 2008, via Barnes’ account, with the largest single transfer being US$16.15 million.
In the 16th charge, Musa was accused of ordering Barnes to transfer all his assets and future inflows to a bank account in Switzerland on May 14, 2008.
He faces up to five years’ imprisonment if found guilty. Today’s proceedings brings Musa’s criminal charges to 51. He was previously charged on Nov 5 with 35 counts of corruption involving US$63 million in relation to timber concessions in Sabah between 2004 and 2008.
No bail was set for these charges, but he has already paid a RM2 million bail for the earlier corruption charges.
