KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 ― The corporate dealings of Sarawak Governor Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud’s family is currently under investigation by Australian authorities following their alleged failure to disclose certain information, the Sydney Morning Herald has reported.

The Sydney-based daily reported yesterday the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) saying it has appointed a “specialist team” to investigate the failure of the Taib family to lodge accounts in accordance with the Corporations Act.

ASIC was responding to petitions for an investigation from Swiss-based non governmental organisation Bruno Manser Fund, but said that it would only consider whether or not the company's conduct warranted “enforcement action”, and would not be pursuing corruption action for the family’s failure to comply with the country’s disclosure laws.

“Otherwise, ASIC suggested the Swiss NGO contact the Australian Federal Police for any further action because pursuing corruption was not part of its purview,” the report said.

Bruno Manser had also approached Australian politicians to call for action to investigate the Taib family and received replies from the Foreign Ministry and the South Australian government saying they would not do anything apart from referring the matter to the Australian police.

The Australian news site cited anti-corruption campaigners in Switzerland claiming that Taib’s kin has come under scrutiny for allegedly laundering millions of Australian dollars through the real estate market there from logging of rainforests in Borneo and displacement of its indigenous people.

Among the questions raised concerned the Taib family’s ability to finance the purchase of a major hotel and interests in more than 400 companies in 25 countries.

It also questions a key loan in the deal, which totalled some $30 million Australian dollars (RM92 million) in the early 1990s, “despite his modest income as a politician”.

Taib’s dealings has garnered interest in South Australia, not only because of the corporate circumstances surrounding the Hilton Hotel but also because Taib was a Colombo Plan graduate of Adelaide University and a large benefactor.

Documents obtained also saw that the university received at least $400,000 Australian dollars in donations from Taib while he was chief minister of Sarawak.

Other unresolved issues included an unsecured loan of US$20.75 million “from a non-bank lender whose identity remained undisclosed for over 10 years” during the acquiring of the Hilton Hotel.