Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Exposed: Taib's stash of secret foreign assets

Bruno Manser Fonds

KUCHING, Feb 21: The Bruno Manser Fund has today released a black list of companies related to the family of Abdul Taib Mahmud (right), the long-serving Chief Minister of Sarawak.

The black list contains the names and company numbers of 49 companies in eight countries which are thought to be worth hundreds of millions, if not billions, of US dollars. A considerable number of the companies is active in the real estate and property sector.

The exclusive black list can be accessed under: stop-timber-corruption.org/resources

Taib Mahmud, who has been Chief Minister, Finance Minister and State Planning and Resources Minister of Sarawak since 1981, has an impressive track record of corruption and abuse of public funds.

According to the Democratic Action Party (DAP), Taib has failed to account for a staggering 4.8 billion Malaysian ringgits (1.58 billion US dollars) of Sarawak state funds over the past three years alone.

In 2007, the Tokyo tax authorities uncovered a massive corruption scheme that involved the payment of kickbacks to the Taib family. In return, nine Japanese shipping companies had received export licences to carry logs to Japan, Sarawak's largest timber export market.

The black list names 13 Malaysian companies, 10 Australian companies, 9 Canadian companies,7 Hong Kong companies, 4 US companies, 3 companies on the British Virgin Islands and 1 company in Jersey.

Among the companies listed are Sakto, a significant Ottawa-based property developer, Ridgeford Properties, a London property company active in the high-end market, and Wallysons, the owners of the FBI Northwestern Regional Headquarters building in Seattle. Among the Malaysian companies, Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS), the state's largest private company, and the Ta Ann logging group are most notable.

FIT FOR A RAJAH ... A view of a residence said to belong to Taib

The black list's intention is to help the listed countries' anti-corruption and anti-money-laundering authorities identify and freeze illicit Taib assets in their countries. The list will be regularly updated.

The black list of Taib’s secret foreign assets

The following companies are, or have been, closely linked to the family of Abdul Taib Mahmud ("Taib"), who has been Chief Minister of Sarawak, Malaysia, since 1981.

Taib's ill-gotten foreign and domestic assets are estimated to be worth hundreds of millions, if not billions, of US dollars.

The Bruno Manser Fund and thousands of supporters around the globe are urging the authorities of the below-mentioned countries to investigate the financial transactions of the black-listed
companies under their respective anti-corruption and anti-money-laundering legislations and to freeze all Taib family assets for later restitution to the people of Sarawak.

Australia:
Australian Universities International Alumni Convention Pty Ltd (ACN: 081942903);
Donmastry Pty Ltd (ACN: 093 907 843);
Geneid Holdings Pty Ltd (ACN: 087759751);
Golborne Pty Ltd. (ACN: 061844148);
Golden Sovereign Development Ltd (ACN 103 925 613);
Kesuma Holdings Pty Ltd. (ACN 105540636);
Newtop Holdings Pty Ltd (ACN: 066588225);
Ostgro Australia Pty Ltd (ACN: 094721070);
Sitehost Pty Ltd (ACN: 062312743);
Valentine on George Pty Ltd (ACN: 105541562)

British Virgin Islands:
Astar Properties Ltd. (201522);
CMS Global (BVI) Ltd.;
Tess Investments Ltd (203511)

Canada:
Adelaide Ottawa Corporation (2028546);
City Gate International Corporation (446027-8);
Glowell Development Corporation (1545868);
Preston Building Holding Corporation (2108122);
Sakto Development Corporation Pte. Ltd. (155207-4),
Sakto Corporation (340439-1),
Sakto Management Services Corporation (655948-4),
Tower One Holding Corporation (2028542), Tower
Two Holding Corporation (2018543)

Right: Preston Square, Ottawa

Hong Kong:
Grand Shine Trading Ltd (0127665);
Grand Will Ltd (0133932);
Herolite Investment Ltd (129119);
Natalite Investment Ltd (129502);
Regent Star Company Ltd (0130318);
Richfold Investment Ltd (0130308);
Whittaker Company Ltd (0161304)

Jersey:
Sogo Holdings Ltd (43148)

Malaysia:
Achi Jaya Holdings Sdn Bhd;
Borsarmulu Resort Sdn Bhd (213014-M);
Cahya Mata Sarawak Sdn Bhd (21076-T);
K&N Kenanga Holdings Bhd;
Kumpulan Parabena Sdn Bhd;
Mesti Bersatu Sdn Bhd (758849-V);
Naim Holdings Berhad (585467-M);
Sanyan Group;
Sarawak Aluminium Company (783974-K);
Sarawak Energy Bhd.;
Ta Ann Group;
Titanium Management Sdn Bhd;
UBG Berhad (240931-X)

United Kingdom:
Ridgeford Consulting Ltd (5572163);
Ridgeford Properties Ltd (3268801)

USA:
Sakti International Corporation Inc.;
Wallysons Inc (the owner of the FBI building in Seattle!);
W.A. Boylston Inc;
W.A.Everett Inc.

This list has been established on 21 February 2011 and will be regularly updated. For more information, please visit www.stop-timber-corruption.org


http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2311:exposed-taibs-stash-of-secret-foreign-assets&catid=34:primary&Itemid=56

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