Sabah CM's aide files police report over Albert's court remarks

Summary

• Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor’s senior aide files a police report against Albert Tei for defamation.

• The aide describes Tei’s statements as being in contempt of court.

A senior aide to Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor has lodged a police report today against controversial businessperson Albert Tei, alleging that his recent statements outside court about Hajiji constitute defamation.

Special officer to the Chief Minister, Mazlan@Joehari Manan, alleged that Tei (above) had made a series of false and malicious claims targeting not only Hajiji, but also the MACC and the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC).

He said the comments crossed the legal line and constituted an attempt to discredit the state government and the judicial process.

“The statements made by Tei are false, defamatory, malicious and baseless. He outrightly accused the Sabah chief minister of being involved in a plan to abduct and kill him.

“His statements are an attempt to damage the reputation of the chief minister, the MACC and the AGC, both directly and indirectly,” he said in his police report lodged at the Kota Kinabalu police station.

Tei, who is charged alongside two assemblypersons over alleged bribery involving mineral prospecting licences, held a press conference on June 30, just outside the Kota Kinabalu court building after posting bail.

In a widely streamed press conference outside the Kota Kinabalu courthouse on June 30, Tei questioned why only he and two assemblypersons were charged, referring to them as “anchovies” while suggesting that “sharks” had been spared prosecution.

He specifically named Hajiji and implied there was selective enforcement by the authorities.

“Only two people were charged. What about the other seven? Especially the chief minister, Hajiji,” Tei said, the remarks which were cited in Mazlan’s police report.

Among his more serious claims, Tei alleged there was a plan to abduct and kill him, and warned that if anything happened to him, authorities should investigate the 10 individuals he had previously named.

On May 8, Tei filed a police report seeking police protection, fearing for his safety after exposing alleged corruption in Sabah.

Tei did not publicly disclose the full list of the 10 individuals he claimed to have reported to the MACC, but indicated that they include Hajiji, several state ministers, and the state assembly speaker Kadzim Yahya.

Baseless claims

Mazlan described the allegations as not only baseless but also a violation of ongoing legal proceedings.

“The case involving Tei and two Sabah assemblypersons is still under trial. His statement amounts to contempt of court and is sub judice,” he said.

Mazlan urged the police to take appropriate legal action under criminal defamation, the Sedition Act, and the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998.

Tei, a businessperson from Selangor, faces two charges for giving bribes to two Sabah assemblypersons - Yusof Yacob (Sindumin) and Andi Suryady Bandy (Tanjung Batu) - amounting to RM350,000.

The two politicians are also being charged with receiving bribes. All three have pleaded not guilty.

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