KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 ― The Sessions Court today imposed a bail of RM2 million for Tan Sri Musa Aman who claimed trial to 35 charges of receiving around US$63.29 million (RM264 million) in bribes involving timber concessions in Sabah.

Sessions Court judge Rozina Ayob ordered RM1 million to be paid today and another RM1 million by this Wednesday with two sureties.

One of Musa’s bailors is his nephew, who is based here, in accordance with the bail conditions Rozina had imposed. 

Rozina also instructed Musa to surrender his civil and diplomatic passports to the court until the trial is over.

Musa is also barred from flying out of the Peninsula to Sabah pending settlement of his bail despite an upcoming court case in the Sabah High Court on November 7.

"You will have to stay here until you have settled your bail,” Rozina said.

The Sabah High Court is expected to deliver its decision on a civil suit filed by Musa to challenge the legitimacy of Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal’s appointment as Sabah Chief Minister.

The prosecution led by Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram initially sought for a bail of RM5 million, but Musa’s lawyer, Amer Hamzah Arshad, sought for this to be reduced to RM1 million by arguing that Musa was not a flight risk and had been cooperating with the authorities since returning from the United Kingdom.

During mitigation, Amer requested that the RM2 million bail be paid in instalments to be settled by Wednesday and said Musa would pay RM500,000 today but this was opposed by Sri Ram.

Case mention has been set for December 13.