Raja Petra Kamarudin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Daily Express
Kota Kinabalu: The RM7.1million that two leading casinos in the United Kingdom are trying to recover from former Chief Minister Datuk Seri Haji Osu Sukam is understood to be only the balance of RM28mil (£4m) that he owed these establishments.
It is understood that the gambling facilities were offered to Osu after being introduced by certain premium clients and that it was not on credit but paid for in cheques which may have bounced.
It is understood that he had also been a good paymaster, having settled up to 562,000 pounds (RM3.9m) in 2002 alone.
Meanwhile, Malaysia Democratic Party (MDP) Fung Ket Wing said to hear that a former Chief Minister of Sabah had been dragged to court over unpaid gambling debts amounting to RM7.1mil by casinos was both "shocking and embarrassing."
"It is shocking because he was a leader of the Barisan Nasional Government which had been talking about wanting only clean, accountable and hard-serving leaders.
"Osu, by his action, raises questions over these prerequisites."
Fung said Osu owes Malaysians, especially in Sabah, an explanation over how such debts could have accumulated, whether he had the financial capacity to pay such debts or if there was a conspiracy to scheme him."
Fung also said though the casinos lost their in Kota Kinabalu High Court, it was still some kind of victory for them because they managed to expose quality of some of our leaders.
"The Malaysian public should be grateful to them (casinos)."
He said in the wake of the exposure for leaders also raised on how effective and meaningful is the requirements for leaders to declare their assets.
"Osu's case is not the only one. In the past there had been reports of Sabah leaders entangled in gambling debts and of bounced cheques being issued.
He suggested that the Government monitor the activities of our leaders who go abroad on holidays "since we never now what they are capable of doing when outside the country."
Fung also commended High Court Judge Justice Datuk Ian HC Chin in dismissing the applications by the casinos to recover the debts via the Malaysian court.
"Allowing it would be like encouraging casinos to lure more people to spend beyond their financial capacity."
Fung said what was known about some casinos was that when a "customer" is a VIP daily credit limit of about RM300,000 is advanced to him to enjoy the gambling. "This is what often puts the person in trouble,"
He disagreed with Sabah Umno's initial reaction that it was "a personal matter of Osu".
"It is for the police and ACA to now investigate Osu as to where he got that millions for gambling when his salary as chief minister was only about RM24,000 a month," he said.
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Posted by Raja Petra Kamarudin to MT-news at 7/09/2005 08:14:00 AM
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