Canadian authorities have been
alerted regarding alleged money-laundering activities linked to Taib
Mahmud's family, but has neither confirmed nor denied if an
investigation will be carried out.
Swiss-based
Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) said it has received acknowledgement from the
Canadian Department of Justice for the NGO's letter to Prime Minister
Stephen Harper in July, over Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's
family's properties holdings in Ottawa.
“The Bruno Manser Fund can confirm that our letter aroused great interest amongst the Canadian government and was brought to the attention of several top politicians, including the Minister of Finance, James M Flaherty, the person who is ultimately responsible for money-laundering issues,” said BMF in a statement yesterday.
According to the NGO, Canada's Department of Justice had told them, "You may be interested to know that the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police)'s Integrated Market Enforcement Team is a group of highly acknowledged specialized investigators that are dedicated to ensuring that those who commit serious capital markets fraud offences will be discovered, investigated, prosecuted, and incarcerated in an effective and timely fashion.”
However, said BMF, the authorities would not disclose if investigations are being undertaken.
“The RCMP does not normally confirm or deny the existence of any criminal investigation.
“These types of investigations are conducted confidentially to protect evidence, international partnerships and reputations. A public statement is not issued identifying suspects until the matter is one of public record," BMF quotes chief superintendent and criminal operations officer Serge Therriault saying.
Therriault, says BMF, works with the RCMP's 'A' division responsible for investigating international cases of bribery, embezzlement and money laundering.
Earlier this week, Germany's Finance Ministry acted upon BMF's similar complaint by ordering an investigation into Deutsche Bank's business relations with Taib's family this week.
Canada heart of the empire
BMF meanwhile, in their letter to the Canadian PM, said they believed that Ottawa-based property developer Sakto Corporation belonging to the Taib family was involved in money laundering.
The
letter to Harper, copied to various Canadian ministers and high level
officers, urged the government to investigate Sakto and members of the
Taib family.
Sakto, says BMF, owns and administers properties in the city in Ontario, worth well over an estimated US$100 million.
It is also at the heart of the Taib family's property empire in UK, US and Australia, it said.
Sakto is run by Taib's daughter Jamilah Hamidah Taib and her Canadian husband Sean Murray (both in photo above) as its sole directors. It was founded by Taib's brother Onn Mahmud and the CM's two young children in 1983.
The
company also owns California-based Sakti International Corporation and
Washington-based Wallysons Inc, owner of the building that houses the
Seattle FBI, as well as UK-based Ridgeford Properties that holds luxury
properties in central London.
Jamilah also holds major shares in Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS), “Sarawak's largest private company” that used to own RHB Bank.
CMS, says BMF, “ lives to a large extent off non-publicly tendered government contracts, which are being awarded by the Sarawak Chief Minister to his family members.”
Earlier this February BMF released a list of 49 companies worldwide that it claimed were linked to Taib's family, in an effort to encourage the governments involved to freeze the CM's “illicit assets”.
Swiss-based
Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) said it has received acknowledgement from the
Canadian Department of Justice for the NGO's letter to Prime Minister
Stephen Harper in July, over Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's
family's properties holdings in Ottawa.“The Bruno Manser Fund can confirm that our letter aroused great interest amongst the Canadian government and was brought to the attention of several top politicians, including the Minister of Finance, James M Flaherty, the person who is ultimately responsible for money-laundering issues,” said BMF in a statement yesterday.
According to the NGO, Canada's Department of Justice had told them, "You may be interested to know that the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police)'s Integrated Market Enforcement Team is a group of highly acknowledged specialized investigators that are dedicated to ensuring that those who commit serious capital markets fraud offences will be discovered, investigated, prosecuted, and incarcerated in an effective and timely fashion.”
However, said BMF, the authorities would not disclose if investigations are being undertaken.“The RCMP does not normally confirm or deny the existence of any criminal investigation.
“These types of investigations are conducted confidentially to protect evidence, international partnerships and reputations. A public statement is not issued identifying suspects until the matter is one of public record," BMF quotes chief superintendent and criminal operations officer Serge Therriault saying.
Therriault, says BMF, works with the RCMP's 'A' division responsible for investigating international cases of bribery, embezzlement and money laundering.
Earlier this week, Germany's Finance Ministry acted upon BMF's similar complaint by ordering an investigation into Deutsche Bank's business relations with Taib's family this week.
Canada heart of the empire
BMF meanwhile, in their letter to the Canadian PM, said they believed that Ottawa-based property developer Sakto Corporation belonging to the Taib family was involved in money laundering.
The
letter to Harper, copied to various Canadian ministers and high level
officers, urged the government to investigate Sakto and members of the
Taib family.Sakto, says BMF, owns and administers properties in the city in Ontario, worth well over an estimated US$100 million.
It is also at the heart of the Taib family's property empire in UK, US and Australia, it said.
Sakto is run by Taib's daughter Jamilah Hamidah Taib and her Canadian husband Sean Murray (both in photo above) as its sole directors. It was founded by Taib's brother Onn Mahmud and the CM's two young children in 1983.
The
company also owns California-based Sakti International Corporation and
Washington-based Wallysons Inc, owner of the building that houses the
Seattle FBI, as well as UK-based Ridgeford Properties that holds luxury
properties in central London.Jamilah also holds major shares in Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS), “Sarawak's largest private company” that used to own RHB Bank.
CMS, says BMF, “ lives to a large extent off non-publicly tendered government contracts, which are being awarded by the Sarawak Chief Minister to his family members.”
Earlier this February BMF released a list of 49 companies worldwide that it claimed were linked to Taib's family, in an effort to encourage the governments involved to freeze the CM's “illicit assets”.
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