Emergency parliamentary motion tomorrow on former Sabah Chief Minister and Federal Minister for Land and Co-operatives Osu Sukam’s RM158.7 million gambling, losing RM31.6 million and running up RM7.1 million debts in one London casino a year after retirement from high political office

Media Conference Statement
by Lim Kit Siang  

(Parliament, Monday): I have this morning given notice to the Speaker, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah to move a motion of urgent, definite importance tomorrow on former Sabah Chief Minister and Federal Minister for Land and Co-operatives, Datuk Seri Osu Sukam’s

RM158.7 million gambling, losing RM31.6 million and running up RM7.1 million debts in one London casino a year after retirement from high political office.

The motion noted that Osu had neither contested the United Kingdom legal suit against him  nor contradicted the  affidavit of the Gaming Manager of The Ritz Hotel Casino (“the Club”) , Robert William Whitehall dated 29^th May 2003, which among other things said:

• Osu had applied to be member  of the casino  on 8^th July 2000 (when he was still Sabah Chief Minister, March 1999 - 2001);
   
• Osu was granted cheque cashing facilities of £500,000 on 11^th February 2002,  increased to £1.5 million on 7^th May 2002;
   
• Osu  “gambled on almost a daily basis” in his various trips to London in February, April, May and  September 2002;
   
• On a single day on 9^th September, 2002, Osu gambled £2 million  with a loss of £1,757,000;
• From 9^th February 2002 to 15^th September 2002, Osu gambled a total of £23,480,000  with a loss of £4,683,300  ;
   
• Osu also gambled  in other London casinos, such as Crockfords, Colony and Rendezvous casinos.

The motion also noted the report in the New Sunday Times yesterday that Osu owes a bigger sum than RM7.1 million to another London casino.

In justifying an urgent parliamentary debate on Osu’s multi-million ringgit gambling spree and debts in London casinos a year after his retirement from high political office, despite the dismissal by Kota Kinabalu High Court judge Datuk Ian H.C. Chin of the application of the London casino to register the RM7.1 million judgment obtained against Osu in England on the grounds that it was against public policy, the motion contended:

“It is of   great public interest issue to ascertain  how  the national integrity system had failed to prevent  corruption and abuses of power as evident in  Osu’s case, where  he could accumulate such astronomical wealth as to gamble RM158.7  million, lose RM31.6 million and  run up RM7.1  million debts in a  London casino a year after political retirement – apart from bigger gambling debts in other London casinos.”

(11/07/2005)