Anwar’s former aide, businessman plead not guilty to bribery charges involving US$43,000

KUALA LUMPUR: A former personal aide to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and a businessman at the centre of a corruption scandal have both claimed trial to four counts each of receiving and offering bribes involving a total of RM176,829.03 (US$42, 945) at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Thursday (Dec 4).

Fifty-year-old Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, who resigned as Anwar’s senior political secretary on Nov 25, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to him under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 before Judge Suzana Hussin. 

All four charges relate to allegations that Shamsul had received money and goods from businessman Albert Tei Jiann Cheng in connection with mineral exploration licence approval in Sabah, reported local news agency Bernama.  

Thirty-seven-year-old Tei on Thursday also pleaded not guilty for offering the bribes amounting to the same amount between November 2023 and March last year, according to Bernama.

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For Shamsul’s first charge, he was accused of agreeing to receive RM100,000 in cash from Tei as an inducement to assist firms in which Tei had an interest in securing approval for the licenses. The offence was allegedly committed at the parking area of Majestic Hotel in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 24, 2023. 

For the second charge, he was accused of receiving furniture and electrical appliances worth RM14,580.03 from Tei for the same purpose. The offence allegedly took place between Dec 7, 2023 and Jan 31, 2024 at 131 Jalan Medang Serai in Bukit Bandaraya, Kuala Lumpur. 

For the third charge, Shamsul was alleged to have received another bribe of RM40,000 in cash from Tei also for the same purpose at the Bukit Bandaraya premise on Jan 29 last year, local media reported. 

For the fourth charge, Shamsul was accused of receiving furniture and electrical appliances worth RM22,249 between Feb 26 and Mar 5, 2024.

If convicted over any of the charges, Shamsul could face a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the bribe, if it can be assessed, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, reported Bernama. 

Sessions Court Judge Suzana also set Jan 8 next year for mention and allowed a bail of RM150,000 with two Malaysian sureties for Shamsul.

“The court also sets three additional conditions, namely that the accused must report to the nearest MACC office once a month, surrender his passport to the court until the case concludes and refrain from disturbing prosecution witnesses,” Suzana said, as quoted by Bernama. 

Tei arrived at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex at about 8.05am, shortly after Shamsul. They were both escorted by several officers from MACC. 

Speaking to reporters after settling bail of RM70,000 with two sureties, Tei said that he “feared for his life” during the MACC raid at his home last Friday, during which he claimed seven to eight officers had pointed guns at him.

"I was in fear. What is my offence? I am not a drug dealer, robber or terrorist … They pointed their guns at my head and bound my hands with a cable tie,” Tei was quoted as saying by local media platform the New Straits Times.

Shamsul told reporters on Thursday that "I will prove my innocence and we will go through the legal channels and court process," after he was released on bail.

"Since the beginning, I have consistently given my cooperation to the MACC to complete investigations and hopefully clear my name," he said.

MACC chief Azam Baki told reporters on Wednesday that the pair will also be charged with one count each of the same offences at the Shah Alam Sessions Court on Friday.

Shamsul and Tei were arrested separately on Nov 28. Another person, purported to be Shamsul’s proxy and identified by investigators as Sofia Rini Buyong, was arrested on Thursday night.

Sofia will not be charged as she has been classified as a prosecution witness, according to Azam on Wednesday. 

Malaysiakini reported on Nov 25, days before the Sabah election on Nov 29, allegations by Tei that he had channelled funds totaling RM629,000 to Shamsul. The money was said to have been spent on home renovations, cigars and tailored suits.

Tei's allegations surfaced hours after Shamsul announced his resignation following a separate case where he was accused of issuing letters of support in a tender, raising questions of conflict of interest.

The allegations involving Shamsul dominated the tail end of the Sabah election hustings, and Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition eventually managed to win only one seat of the 22 it contested.

Tei had alleged that he spent the RM629,000 after being purportedly assured that he could recoup the money "channelled to politicians in Sabah", Malaysiakini reported.

The report did not elaborate how the money would allegedly be channelled to politicians in Sabah nor what Tei was seeking exactly.

Malaysiakini added that Tei “has an axe to grind” against Sabah’s incumbent Gabungan Rakyat Sabah coalition - which is part of Anwar’s unity government and was in an electoral pact with PH - over the cancellation of his mineral exploration licences.

Tei has made national headlines recently, after he released covert videos purportedly showing Sabah state lawmakers engaged in alleged bribe negotiations with him for a mining licence.

While he claims to be a whistleblower, Tei has already been charged alongside two Sabah state assemblymen with offering and accepting bribes.

Those implicated denied wrongdoing, accusing Tei of releasing the videos out of revenge for not securing government contracts.

Additional reporting by Fadza Ishak