A Canadian superior court has ruled that a money-laundering case involving a company linked to Sarawak Governor Abdul Taib Mahmud will be heard in public, according to Swiss NGO Bruno Manser Fund (BMF).

In a statement, BMF said the case it filed in July to gain access to the financial records of Ottowa-based Sakto Corporation and its affiliated companies was originally sealed, before the Ontario Superior Court lifted the order.

Sakto was co-founded and is chaired by Taib's daughter Jamilah, whose husband Sean Murray is the company president. The company mainly deals in property development.

BMF claims that the Taib family had channelled millions of ringgit in allegedly illicit money into the company.

It is suing the Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Manulife Financial Corporation and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu to compel them to disclose beneficial ownership information and records of the alleged flow of funds from Malaysia into Sakto.

BMF is hoping to use that information to pursue private prosecution against Sakto. Malaysiakini has contacted the offices of Sakto and Taib for their response...