(Petaling Jaya, Sunday): The Brisbane Courier Mail, which on Dec. 31, 1996 had reported that the RM2.4 million cash for which the Selangor Mentri Besar, Tan Sri Muhammad Taib was arrested at the Brisbane International Airport on December 22, was “to purchase furniture and fittings for Muhammad’s new Gold Coast home”, carried another report yesterday about Muhammad’s other properties in Australia.
The Brisbane Courier Mail report yesterday said:
"Mr. Muhammad, 51, is expected to appear in the Federal Court in two weeks to defend the charge and try to retrieve the money, which is being held by the Australian Federal Police.
"Mr. Muhammad is the vice-president of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad’s ruling United Malays National Organisation, and a political adviser to Dr. Mahathir.
"Inquiries by The Courier-Mail have revealed Mr. Muhammad had been in Queensland for six days from December 16, inspecting several family investments including the 4500 ha cattle, sheep and grain property Currajong Park in western Queensland.
"Currajong Park, near Meandarra, about 320 km west of Brisbane, was bought last September for $2.54 million and was officially handed over on November 29.
"The property, which has an unimproved land value of $335,000, is registered in Mr. Muhammad’s wife’s name - Asbi Rohani binti Asnan- and is run by two managers who are based on the farm.
"Gold Coast businessman Fred Guisti, who says he is the general manager of Mr. Muhammad’s wife’s Australian holding company, said Mr. Muhammad had “nothing to do with the farm”.
"Mr. Muhammad and his wife flew to Queensland for the December trip, when Mr. Guisti took them to visit Currajong Park.
"Mr. Guisti said Mr. Muhammad’s wife, who is apparently “wealthy in her own right”, dealt with Gold Coast solicitor Robert Lehn to buy the property.
"He said he believed the trip was the first time the couple saw the property, which was bought three months earlier.
"Mr. Muhammad also used the visit to check on a $500,000 house he was having built on land valued at $459,000 - again registered in his wife’s name - at the exclusive Sovereign Islands development on the Gold Coast.
"It is understood Mr. Muhammad tried to buy a neighbouring block of land at Sovereign Islands and also two adjoining properties at Coomera for $6 million."
According to the Brisbane Courier Mail report yesterday, Mohammad Taib and his wife are building a house worth RM1 million ringgit on land valued at another RM1 million ringgit. Three months ago, they also bought 4500 ha cattle, sheep and grain property Currajong Park in western Queensland for RM5 million. They are also interested in buying more properties in Australia worth RM12 million.
Muhammad Taib must come forward and let Malaysians know the true facts about all his properties in Australia, whether apart from building a RM2 million house at Sovereigns Islands, he had also bought a RM5 million cattle, sheep and grain property Currajong Park in western Queensland. If the reports in the Brisbane Courier Mail are untrue, then he should institute legal proceedings against the Australian newspaper to clear his name and reputation.
The latest Brisbane Courier-Mail report on Muhammad Taib’s Australian properties would be highlighted in Parliament in the coming week - as this has brought into sharper focus the inaction and impotence of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) to conduct proper investigations into the source, origin and purpose of the RM2.4 million found on Muhammad Taib’s person at the Brisbane airport.
It is a shame that up to now, the ACA is unable even to state whether it had questioned Muhammad Taib, and if so, how many times; and if not, why not; and why it had not sent a team to Brisbane to check on the revelations made by the Brisbane Courier-Mail on Muhammad Taib’s multi-million ringgit properties in Australia.
(30/3/97)