MANY are still perplexed over the “recent developments” that led to the acquittal of 46 corruption and money laundering charges against former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman, following a withdrawal of the charges by the prosecution in June.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid told the High Court that the charges were dropped as instructed by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), which had indicated that it was no longer tenable to continue with the case amid some “recent developments”.
In explaining the decision to withdraw the charges, Attorney-General (AG) Tan Sri Idrus Harun said anticipated documentary evidence from companies and banks could not be obtained through Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters from Hong Kong. Moreover, he said, the AGC had received an affidavit filed at the High Court by Musa, and affirmed by former attorney-general Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, in support of Musa’s application to quash all charges against him. Some observers have pointed out that Gani and Musa are related.