Additional documents have surfaced on whistleblower website Sarawak Report that claim to shed more light on the alleged money-laundering network said to involve Sabah chief minister Musa Aman. NONEThe documents include bank statements and sworn statements submitted to the Singapore High Court in a civil case filed by a timber trader against UBS AG bank in Singapore. The timber trader, who was not identified by the website, was the registered owner of a number of bank accounts allegedly used to launder the kickbacks said to have been paid by timber companies to Musa. According to the website, the trader had claimed that he was unlawfully ignored when UBS followed instructions to empty two of the accounts and transfer the money directly into another account in the name of Yap Loo Mien. Yap is the wife of Michael Chia, who has been described as be Musa's nominee and the intermediary between Musa and timber traders. NONEMusa has denied the allegations linking him with Chia, who was charged with money laundering at Hong Kong in 2008 by trying to smuggle S$16 million into Malaysia. In a previous posting, Sarawak Report had published a flow chart said to be compiled by the Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), illustrating how money flowed from certain companies into accounts managed by Chia and his nominees in Hong Kong, to a number of British Virgin Island (BVI) companies, and then to the account of a Sabah lawyer, before being passed into an account in Zurich in Musa's name. Hong Kong accounts of two of these BVI companies, Blisstop Corporation and Zenique Investments Ltd - registered under the name of the timber trader - were the subject of the Singapore court case. The website claimed that the timber trader is demanding compensation from UBS and Yap, who received all the proceeds from the accounts of the two companies, which were emptied after Chia’s arrest by the Hong Kong police. NONE “Some US$2 million were in the bank accounts at the time and statements in our possession show that some US$15 million had been channelled through them in the course of two years,” said the website. Among other documents, it posted online: a statement for the Zenique Investments Ltd bank account which showed that, in 2007, it received US$296,635.60 from a contractor and transferred US$500,000 to CTF International, another BVI company controlled directly by Chia himself (CTF stands for Chia's full name Chia Tien Foh); a bank statement showing that Musa's son Mohammed Hayssam had drawn US$2,350 from the same account in 2007; and a bank statement showing that Zenique Investments Ltd made a payment of US$85,000 to Mohd Daud Tampokong, a Yayasan Sabah employee who, the website claimed, was a middleman between Yayasan Sabah and timber traders. Yayasan Sabah, a state-owned foundation chaired by Musa, is tasked with protecting and preserving about one million hectares of forest land in the state. ‘Deposit for logging concession’ The website also published a copy of a credit receipt showing payment of US$277,975 by a major Sabah timber tycoon to Zenique Investments Ltd as “deposit for logging concession”. NONE“There were several transfers like this - why was money sent as a 'deposit for logging concession' by a Sabah tycoon to a company whose account has now been emptied into the bank account of Chia’s wife?” queried the website. It also said UBS had told the court that the instruction to empty the two accounts was made by the timber trader through a telephone call and then a scribbled note, which the latter has denied. To back its case, the Zurich bank produced evidence as part of its sworn statements, claiming that a number of other payments were made from this network of accounts in a similar way, including transfers to Musa’s two sons - Mohammed Hayssam and Hazem Mubarak. “This admission backs the numerous bank statements in our possession, which also demonstrate that several payments were made from accounts controlled by Chia to Musa’s sons, who were studying in Australia and it proves that our documents are not forgeries,” said Sarawak Report. In their sworn statements to the court posted on the website, Chia and his wife contradicted UBS’ defence, claiming that they were the rightful beneficial owner of these companies and accounts all along and that the timber trader named as the account holder was merely a nominee. “Chia’s assertion is that UBS emptied the accounts on his instructions, because the bank knew that he was the real man in charge and that the registered owner was just a front!” Sarawak Report commented. The statements also led the website to pose the question as to whether UBS was complicit in the money-laundering network. The website, founded by investigative journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown, the sister-in-law of former British prime minister Gordon Brown, reiterated its call for both UBS and Musa to explain the evidence revealed in the court case. NONE“How is UBS to explain such evidence and how is Musa going to explain the evidence produced by UBS confirming our own earlier evidence that his children were receiving money from bank accounts managed by his ‘adopted son’, Chia? “Musa will also have to explain why 'deposits for logging concessions' were being paid into these very accounts from which his sons were receiving regular payments.” The website also urged Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail to bring charges against Musa or for the chief minister to step down. It had previously alleged that Abdul Gani, who has close family connections with Musa's family, has been protecting Musa and had prevented charges from being preferred against him

Additional documents have surfaced on whistleblower website Sarawak Report that claim to shed more light on the alleged money-laundering network said to involve Sabah chief minister Musa Aman.

The documents include bank statements and sworn statements submitted to the Singapore High Court in a civil case filed by a timber trader against UBS AG bank in Singapore.

The timber trader, who was not identified by the website, was the registered owner of a number of bank accounts allegedly used to launder the kickbacks said to have been paid by timber companies to Musa.

According to the website, the trader had claimed that he was unlawfully ignored when UBS followed instructions to empty two of the accounts and transfer the money directly into another account in the name of Yap Loo Mien.

Yap is the wife of Michael Chia, who has been described as be Musa's nominee and the intermediary between Musa and timber traders.

Musa has denied the allegations linking him with Chia, who was charged with money laundering at Hong Kong in 2008 by trying to smuggle S$16 million into Malaysia.

In a previous posting, Sarawak Report had published a flow chart said to be compiled by the Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), illustrating how money flowed from certain companies into accounts managed by Chia and his nominees in Hong Kong, to a number of British Virgin Island (BVI) companies, and then to the account of a Sabah lawyer, before being passed into an account in Zurich in Musa's name.

Hong Kong accounts of two of these BVI companies, Blisstop Corporation and Zenique Investments Ltd - registered under the name of the timber trader - were the subject of the Singapore court case.

The website claimed that the timber trader is demanding compensation from UBS and Yap, who received all the proceeds from the accounts of the two companies, which were emptied after Chia’s arrest by the Hong Kong police.

“Some US$2 million were in the bank accounts at the time and statements in our possession show that some US$15 million had been channelled through them in the course of two years,” said the website.

Among other documents, it posted online:

• a statement for the Zenique Investments Ltd bank account which showed that, in 2007, it received US$296,635.60 from a contractor and transferred US$500,000 to CTF International, another BVI company controlled directly by Chia himself (CTF stands for Chia's full name Chia Tien Foh);

• a bank statement showing that Musa's son Mohammed Hayssam had drawn US$2,350 from the same account in 2007; and

• a bank statement showing that Zenique Investments Ltd made a payment of US$85,000 to Mohd Daud Tampokong, a Yayasan Sabah employee who, the website claimed, was a middleman between Yayasan Sabah and timber traders.

Yayasan Sabah, a state-owned foundation chaired by Musa, is tasked with protecting and preserving about one million hectares of forest land in the state.

‘Deposit for logging concession’

The website also published a copy of a credit receipt showing payment of US$277,975 by a major Sabah timber tycoon to Zenique Investments Ltd as “deposit for logging concession”.

“There were several transfers like this - why was money sent as a 'deposit for logging concession' by a Sabah tycoon to a company whose account has now been emptied into the bank account of Chia’s wife?” queried the website.

It also said UBS had told the court that the instruction to empty the two accounts was made by the timber trader through a telephone call and then a scribbled note, which the latter has denied.

To back its case, the Zurich bank produced evidence as part of its sworn statements, claiming that a number of other payments were made from this network of accounts in a similar way, including transfers to Musa’s two sons - Mohammed Hayssam and Hazem Mubarak.

“This admission backs the numerous bank statements in our possession, which also demonstrate that several payments were made from accounts controlled by Chia to Musa’s sons, who were studying in Australia and it proves that our documents are not forgeries,” said Sarawak Report.

In their sworn statements to the court posted on the website, Chia and his wife contradicted UBS’ defence, claiming that they were the rightful beneficial owner of these companies and accounts all along and that the timber trader named as the account holder was merely a nominee.

“Chia’s assertion is that UBS emptied the accounts on his instructions, because the bank knew that he was the real man in charge and that the registered owner was just a front!” Sarawak Report commented.

The statements also led the website to pose the question as to whether UBS was complicit in the money-laundering network.

The website, founded by investigative journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown, the sister-in-law of former British prime minister Gordon Brown, reiterated its call for both UBS and Musa to explain the evidence revealed in the court case.

“How is UBS to explain such evidence and how is Musa going to explain the evidence produced by UBS confirming our own earlier evidence that his children were receiving money from bank accounts managed by his ‘adopted son’, Chia?

“Musa will also have to explain why 'deposits for logging concessions' were being paid into these very accounts from which his sons were receiving regular payments.”

The website also urged Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail to bring charges against Musa or for the chief minister to step down.

It had previously alleged that Abdul Gani, who has close family connections with Musa's family, has been protecting Musa and had prevented charges from being preferred against him