SHAH ALAM: Businessman Datuk Albert Tei and Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin have been charged again with offences involving the giving and receiving of bribes amounting to more than RM60,000 for the rental of a house between 2023 and last year.
Both Tei and Shamsul Iskandar, who was the former senior political secretary to the Prime Minister, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read before Judge Datuk Mohd Nasir Nordin on Friday (Dec 5).
According to the charge sheet, Shamsul Iskandar, in his capacity as the Prime Minister’s Senior Political Secretary, allegedly received a RM64,924 bribe which was deposited into a CIMB Bank account belonging to Rahmalidya Buyong.
Tei is accused of giving the bribe - RM64,924 in cash - to Shamsul Iskandar by depositing the amount into the same CIMB Bank account belonging to Rahmalidya.
They are alleged to have committed the offences at CIMB Bank Country Heights Branch, 1 Jalan Sinar Pagi, Country Heights, in the Kajang district of Selangor on Nov 28, 2023 and Sept 23, 2024.
The payments were purportedly made for the rental of a house on Jalan Medang Serai, Bukit Bandaraya, Kuala Lumpur.
The act is said to have been carried out to assist companies linked to Tei in securing approvals for mineral exploration licences in Sabah.
They were charged under Sections 17(a) and 17(b) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which carry penalties under Section 24(1) of the same Act.
Upon conviction, the Section provides for a maximum jail term and a fine of not less than five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
The prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutors Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan and Nurul Qistini Qamarul Abra, while Shamsul Iskandar was represented by lawyer Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad.
Tei, meanwhile, was represented by lawyers Rajesh Nagarajan, Mahajoth Singh, Eric Paulsen and Rajesh Nagarajan.
Earlier, Farah applied for the court to adopt the same bail terms imposed on Tei and Shamsul in relation to four other charges in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Thursday (Dec 4).
Yesterday, Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court Judge Suzana Hussin granted Shamsul bail at RM150,000 with two sureties, ordered his passport to be surrendered until the conclusion of the case, and required him to report to the nearest MACC office once a month.
Tei was granted bail of RM70,000 with two sureties.
Judge Mohd Nasir subsequently allowed the adoption of the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court’s bail terms and conditions, and ordered that the case be transferred to that court to be tried jointly.
Tei’s lawyer, Rajesh Nagarajan, when met after proceedings on Friday (Dec 5), said his client had been charged under Section 17(b) of the MACC Act and had pleaded not guilty.
He added that Tei’s bail conditions remain the same as those imposed for a separate charge brought in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court yesterday.
“Based on an application by the DPP, the matter has now been transferred to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, where case management has been fixed for Jan 8, 2026.
“The four charges from yesterday and today’s single charge - five in total - will be heard together at the upcoming hearing date,” he said.
When asked whether the defence intended to seek a transfer to the High Court, Rajesh said at the moment, he has yet to receive any instructions from Tei.
“As you know, my client has a large legal team. We will be discussing internally and will meet with our client before taking further instructions.
“We will update the press as soon as possible regarding any move to transfer the case to the KL High Court,” he said.
On Thursday (Dec 4), Shamsul was charged in a separate case with agreeing to accept a RM100,000 bribe, as well as three additional charges involving the receipt of money and electrical furnishings amounting to RM76,829.03.
Previously, allegations had surfaced that a businessman had bribed the former Senior Political Secretary to the Prime Minister to recover funds that had been distributed to several Sabah state assemblymen.
Following the allegations, Shamsul and Tei were remanded for six days until Dec 4, while another individual, identified as Sofia Rini Buyong, was remanded for four days to assist investigations.
