Umno tells PBS leaders: Take up Albert's dare, go to police

Sabah Umno has urged Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) leaders Dr Joachim Gunsalam and his deputy Jahid Jahim to lodge police reports over allegations of an attempt to monopolise the state’s scrap metal trade.

“The individual who exposed the scrap metal scandal has openly challenged both of them to report the matter to the police if the revelations are untrue.

“But what has been their response and follow-up action? They appear to have ignored the challenge and seem unwilling to lodge a report,” said Sabah Umno strategic communications director Datu Rosman Datu Ahir Zaman in a statement.

He was referring to the allegations by businessperson Albert Tei, who previously exposed a mining scandal implicating more than a dozen politicians from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).

Tei, who claimed to have set up a proxy company to assist the alleged attempt to monopolise the scrap metal business, also produced two purported official letters signed by Gunsalam (above) and Jahid, respectively.

Gunsalam has since denied the allegation.

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t

Datu Rosman questioned why Gunsalam and Jahid had yet to take the matter to the police if they believed they were defamed.

“Both men now find themselves in an awkward dilemma. If they fail to make a police report, it could be seen as an indirect admission of involvement in the alleged monopoly.

“On the other hand, if they do lodge a report and the investigation later finds them complicit, that would mean they have committed a criminal offence by filing a false police report,” he added.

Last Saturday, Tei reiterated his challenge for the PBS leaders to prove his claims wrong, asserting that he has “all the documents and evidence to prove this matter”.

According to the businessperson, the alleged monopoly attempt took place in 2022, when Gunsalam was deputy chief minister and state industrial development minister, while Jahid was rural development minister.

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