PETALING JAYA: A woman implicated in a video linked to a Sabah mining scandal denied acting as a proxy to a senior political secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Sofia Rini Buyong dismissed the video’s allegations and accused businessman Albert Tei of spreading lies and slander.
“I stress that I am not a proxy to Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar,” she said to an online portal.
“I must also clarify that I have never met or discussed the matter with PMX in relation to Tei’s allegations,” she added.
On Nov 25, Tei linked former senior political secretary Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin to the Sabah mining scandal.
He alleged spending RM629,000 on Shamsul with promises the funds would be recovered through political channels in Sabah.
The businessman claimed he was introduced to Shamsul by a woman he described as the aide’s proxy.
In the video on Tuesday, the woman also claimed that Shamsul had asked Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Tan Sri Azam Baki to ‘ease’ his case.
Sofia said she never discussed mining in Sabah with Shamsul.
She claimed Tei planned the meeting with her and recorded the video without her knowledge.
She described the matter as a conspiracy to smear the names of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Shamsul.
“I have consulted my lawyer and urged the authorities to investigate,” she added.
In a statement, Tei said Sofia did not deny her words in the meeting.
He said she did not claim the video was fake or AI generated.
Meanwhile, the MACC has called on the woman in the viral video to come forward and give a statement.
The commission said her testimony is crucial to the investigation involving the former senior political secretary to the Prime Minister.
The agency is trying to locate her and requested that she appear at the MACC office on Dec 1.
The MACC also contacted Tei and instructed him to appear on the same date.
