SHAH ALAM, Dec 5 — Businessman Albert Tei was brought to the Sessions Court again here today and charged with giving a bribe of RM64,924 to former senior political secretary to the prime minister, Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, to help secure approval for a mineral exploration licence in Sabah.
Albert Tei Jiann Cheing, 37, pleaded not guilty to the charge before Judge Datuk Mohd Nasir Nordin.
"I understand (the charge), I plead not guilty and claim trial," said Tei.
Tei is charged with giving a bribe of RM62,924 to Shamsul Iskandar at a bank in Country Heights, Kajang, between November 28, 2023 and September 23, 2024.
The money, deposited into a bank account of a woman for rental payment of a house in Kuala Lumpur, was allegedly an inducement for Shamsul Iskandar to assist companies that Tei had an interest in to obtain a licence to carry out mineral exploration in Sabah.
The charge, framed under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 (MACC) [Act 694], provides a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of at least five times the amount or value of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
At the same court today, Shamsul Iskandar was slapped with a charge of receiving a RM64,924 bribe from Tei. He, too, pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.
The prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutors Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan and Nurul Qistini Qamarul Abrar.
Shamsul Iskandar was represented by lawyers Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad, Mohd Yusmadi Mohd Yusoff and Joshua Tay, while Tei was represented by lawyers Mahajoth Singh, Eric Paulsen and Rajesh Nagarajan.
In Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Shamsul Iskandar pleaded not guilty to four counts of corruption totalling RM176,829.03, also in relation to the approval of mineral exploration licences in Sabah.
Yesterday, Tei was also charged at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court and granted RM70,000 in bail with two Malaysian sureties.
Judge Mohd Nasir has allowed to transfer the case to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court 14 for a joint trial on January 8 next year.
