Forced to beg for updates - Albert's lawyer decries 'new law or new low'

Lawyer Mahajoth Singh, representing businessperson Albert Tei - the whistleblower who exposed the Sabah mining scandal - has lambasted the authorities for dragging their feet on his client’s police report against state governor Musa Aman’s son-in-law.

He questioned whether this represents the “new law or new low” where complainants are forced to “beg for updates”.

“If the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) intends to bury this matter with the infamous ‘no further action’ decision, then have the decency to say so openly.

“This delay is indefensible, and it proves there is something deeply rotten in the system. Justice delayed has here become justice denied,” he said in a statement to Malaysiakini.

Mahajoth stressed that seven months have already passed since Tei lodged his report against state science, technology and innovation minister Arifin Arif.

“In this period, my client has exhausted every avenue available to him, following each and every procedure under Section 107A of the Criminal Procedure Code, and even lodging a complaint with the Independent Police Conduct Commission. He has done everything required of a responsible citizen,” he said.

According to Mahajoth, police have completed their investigation and submitted the papers to the AGC on Aug 8.

“Yet the case remains in limbo,” he added.

On Feb 6, Tei filed a counter police report against Arifin, a day after the state minister lodged a report against a Malaysiakini article quoting the businessperson on an alleged settlement offer.

Tei claimed that Arifin, one of the individuals accused of taking bribes in exchange for a prospecting licence, had filed a “false report” alleging that the Malaysiakini article was inaccurate, misleading, and filled with false and slanderous claims.

In the Malaysiakini report, Tei claimed that Arifin had offered him a settlement to retract his corruption accusations against eight assemblypersons.

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