KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 — The prosecution in former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman’s corruption and money laundering case may amend the charges.
Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Datuk Umar Saifuddin Jaafar told the court at the remention today that the prosecution needed some time to peruse the present charges.
“Considering that this case has just been transferred to the High Court, some amendments to the charges may be necessary.
“Therefore we ask for a case management date that would allow us time to first study and complete the documents before handing them to the defence,” he said, adding that the prosecution had also received additional evidence from overseas.
DPP also noted that the accused would be going abroad on August 7 for medical treatment and return on September 7.
Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah set September 27 for case management.
Musa’s lawyer Francies Ng Aik Guan told the court that the accused was granted use of his passport temporarily to go to London for treatment.
The ex-chief minister faces 35 counts of corruption related to logging concessions in Sabah involving US$63.3 (RM262.30) million.
Musa allegedly committed the offences at eight banks and financial institutions in Hong Kong, China and Singapore between December 20, 2004 and November 6, 2008.
The charges are framed under Section 11(a) of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997 and punishable under Section 16 of the same Act.
Musa also faces 16 counts of money laundering.
On the first charge, he is accused of receiving illegally-gained proceeds through a Swiss account at UBS AG that he had allegedly ask one Richard Christopher Barnes, 67, to open for him.
He also faces an alternative charge of concealing proceeds acquired from illegal activities.
On the second to ninth charge and 11th to 15th charge, Musa is accused of receiving illegally-gained proceeds totalling US$37,845,491.60 (RM156,887,199.65) from a number of individuals through an account under Barnes’ name.
On the 10th charge, he allegedly received illegally-gained proceeds totalling S$2.5 (RM7.5) million through the same account. — Bernama
