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.
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.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-shamsul-iskandar-albert-tei-plead-not-guilty-bribery-charges-5538151
