DAP: MACC hasn't ruled out RM40mil was smuggled

Flying in the face of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's denial that the RM40 million donation to Sabah Umno was not smuggled money, the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) , DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang pointed out ,as yet to verify this.

Lim (left) said thus far, the MACC has not addressed the question of whether the money was laundered or not.

He added the only explanation in parliament was that Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman had been cleared of corruption as the RM40 million was a contribution to Sabah Umno and not to the former

"Nothing has been explained in parliament as to whether the RM40 million cash in Singapore currency which Sabah timber trader Michael Chia had in his luggage before boarding a flight to Kuala Lumpur at the Hong Kong International airport on August 14, 2008 and was arrested for currency trafficking and laundering was 'smuggled or laundered money'," he said in a statement today.

Lim questioned how either the premier or de facto law minister Nazri Abdul Aziz, who is in charge of responding to this matter, could possible know if the money was or was not laundered.

"There are two separate questions here: firstly, whether the RM40 million cash was a transaction in an offence of corruption, whether involving Musa or Umno Sabah.

"And secondly, whether the RM40 million cash was dirty money derived from corruption or illegal activities which had to be smuggled or laundered into the country," he said.

As such, Lim said the MACC should come clean on the circumstances of the multi-million ringgit political contribution.

"Did MACC also clear Michael Chia's RM40 million cash in Singapore currency as clean money and not dirty or laundered money and If so, MACC should explain how it arrived at this finding..." he said.