On Jun. 9, a former chief minister of Sabah in Malaysia was acquitted of corruption and money laundering charges.

According to the Malay Mail, Musa Aman, 69, saw 30 corruption and 16 money laundering charges against him dropped by prosecutors.

It is the second high-profile discharge since the Perikatan Nasional coalition took power in March after Riza Aziz, stepson of ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak, was discharged in May 2020.

The Edge Malaysia  quoted Deputy Public Prosecutor Azhar Abdul Hamid as saying that the charges were withdrawn on the instructions of the Attorney-General's Chambers.

Accused of profiting from timber deals

A member of the UMNO party, which is part of Perikatan Nasional, Musa's charges were linked to timber deals that took place between 2004 and 2008 in Hong Kong, China, and Singapore, reported SCMP.

These deals took place while Musa was serving as the chief minister of Sabah, a position he held from 2003 until 2018.

He left Malaysia for the United Kingdom shortly after losing power, citing a need for medical treatment in London.

According to The Star, Musa was first charged upon his return in Malaysia in November 2018, for allegedly receiving a total of RM243 million (S$79.16 million) as an inducement for offering timber concessions in Sabah.

A few months later, in March 2019, he was charged with money laundering involving RM160 million (S$52.12 million).

In statement posted to Facebook, Musa expressed his gratitude to the prosecution and judiciary, whom he said acted objectively, professionally, independently, and without prejudice.

"I will not forget friends near and far who have helped me directly and indirectly, and the media that has given me the benefit of the doubt during the case," he added.

Najib's stepson also discharged

Musa's acquittal follows a deal that prosecutors struck last month with Riza Aziz, the stepson of Najib.

According to SCMP, Riza had been in the early stages of trial for money laundering charges, linked to the looting of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

He was alleged to have received RM1.08 billion (S$345.32 million) in funds linked to the scandal.

However, on May 14, he was granted a discharge not amount to an acquittal in exchange for the forfeit of about RM457.80 million (S$149 million) worth of assets to the Malaysian government.

His stepfather, Najib, is currently facing 42 criminal charges for his role in the 1MDB scandal.

He is waiting to hear the verdict of the first of five trials that he is facing. It is expected to be delivered on July 28.

Top image from Musa Aman's Facebook page