Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud today denied that he has a secret bank account in Switzerland.
In a personal statement read out in the State legislative assembly, he said: “Let me state categorically that I have no secret Swiss bank account, nor assets or investments of any description in Switzerland."
He said he had to explain to the august house because the allegations by Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) that he had a secret account was a falsehood against the state government and him.
“As head of the state government and a member of the legislature, in keeping with the parliamentary practice and tradition, I am accountable to this august house.
“Therefore, it is only proper and right for me to make a personal statement to this august house in accordance of Standing Order 22 on the allegations by BMF, a foreign NGO (non-government organisation) not at all accountable to the people of Sarawak,” he said.
BMF, a western-based NGO, had alleged that Taib had kept his ill-gotten wealth in a Swiss bank.
It had asked the Swiss Federation president to direct the country’s marketing supervisory authority to conduct an investigation into the alleged Taib’s secret account.
Taib, in a clear voice, said he had, in an unequivocal term, wrote in a letter last month to the president of the Swiss Federation specifically asking her to confirm whether she has allegedly ordered any investigation into the allegations by the MBF to the Swiss marketing supervisory authority.
Taib also wanted the president to furnish him with a copy of the application so that he could exercise his right to seek and obtain legal redress.
“I also pledge to render my fullest cooperation to the Swiss Federation to swiftly bring the truth to light so as to nail down all malicious falsehood. Let me reiterate here that the allegations by BMF are false, evidently politically motivated,” he said.
He said that BMF has a track record of making scurrilous and scandalous allegations against the state government of Sarawak for many years, including the cutting down of 90% of Sarawak's rainforests, although local and international forestry experts have certified that 70% of the forests are still being sustainability managed.
“Therefore, BMF false allegations that I have assets in Switzerland is a continuation of its malicious efforts to smear the state government, the state and the leaders,” he said.
Taib said his attention has recently been drawn into allegations online in the most disreputable website which claims that the Swiss authority may possibly investigate him, the nature and sources of assets belonging to him located in Switzerland.
“The allegations by BMF have since been used by local politicians to advance their own political agenda against me and the state government that I lead, once again with a strong mandate from the people during the last state elections,” he said.
