Sarawak CM Abdul Taib to be accused of corruption

KUCHING, April 13 (Bernama)
Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud has threatened to take legal action over newsreports linking him to RM32 million in logging kickbacks in Japan.

His press secretary, Amin Sahmat, in a one-paragraph statement faxed to the media here today, said Taib had instructed his solicitors to initiate legal action to clear his name in reference to reports in the Japanese and local newspapers alleging that the chief minister was involved in corrupt practices.

Yesterday Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was quoted as saying that he was leaving it to the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) to investigate a report of RM32 million in logging kickbacks implicating Taib.

He said he had not received any report on the matter so far and no proper report had been lodged by any party for an investigation to be carried out.

Abdullah was asked to comment on a newsreport in Japan Times which claimed that Japanese shipping companies paid RM32 million to a Hong Kong agent allegedly linked to Abdul Taib.

Meanwhile, 20 Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat members led by its liaison chairman, Wan Zainal Abidin Wan Senusi, lodged reports with the ACA and the police today over the allegations.

He told Bernama that the action was in response to Abdullah's comment yesterday that no report had been lodged by any party for an investigation to be carried out.

Here are some foreign news reports:-

Japan Times