Shamsul, Albert plead not guilty to RM64,924 bribe charges

Malacca PKR chief Shamsul Iskandar Akin pleaded not guilty at the Shah Alam Sessions Court over one charge of receiving bribes totalling RM64,924 from businessperson Albert Tei.

Shamsul was accused of taking the bribe in his capacity as the then-political secretary to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to help Tei secure mining exploration licences in Sabah.

The charge, framed under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act, was read in front of judge Nasir Nordin.

Tei also pleaded not guilty to a charge under Section 17(b) of the MACC Act for allegedly bribing Shamsul.

Both can be punished with up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine not less than five times the amount of bribes involved.

Yesterday, the duo was also slapped with four charges involving corruption at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.

According to the charge sheet, a sum of money was allegedly deposited into a bank account belonging to a woman named Rahmalidya Buyong between Nov 28, 2023, and Sept 23, 2024, at the CIMB Bank branch in Country Heights, Kajang.

Earlier, Nasir allowed the prosecution’s application to impose the same bail conditions on both men as set by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.

Yesterday, the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court set the bail at RM150,000 in two sureties for Shamsul, while Tei was allowed bail of RM70,000, also in two sureties.

Prosecutions for both cases were handled by deputy public prosecutors Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan and Nurul Qistini Qamarul Abrar.

Tei was represented by counsel Eric Paulsen, Mahajoth Singh, N Surendran, and Rajesh Nagarajan; while Amer Hamzah Arshad and Yusmadi Yusof appeared for Shamsul.

Joint trial

The judge also allowed the prosecution’s application for the case at the Shah Alam Court to be transferred for a joint trial in Kuala Lumpur.

At a press conference later, Rajesh said the case mention is scheduled at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Jan 8 next year.

He also confirmed that the four charges from yesterday and one from today will be heard concurrently in the same Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, Amer expressed belief that the court will clear Shamsul’s name.

“We look forward to the proceedings so that we can reveal the truth. The videos that were circulated are slander and baseless accusations.

“Therefore, we urge all parties not to easily believe (the videos) simply because there is one that mentions Shamsul’s name,” Amer added.

Officer muzzles ‘reformati’ shout

Outside the court complex, Tei attempted to shout “reformati” but was stopped by a court officer.

"This is a court, don’t use that word," the officer told him.

Tei proceeded to apologise to the officer but whispered the word to the reporters present.

‘Reformati’ is a word used to mock the Madani administration, particularly the prime minister, who had often touted reforms, or reformasi, for more than 20 years to gain federal powers.

Since assuming the premiership, critics argue that Anwar has failed to live up to his pledges, which include fighting corruption, nepotism, and abuse of power.

Don’t slander Dr M

Tei also dismissed claims that he was in cahoots with former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in relation to the cases.

"The viral picture featuring me with Mahathir featured my first meeting with him. I am 37 years old, and that was the first time I met him. That’s all.

"Don’t slander Mahathir," he added.

Touching on his meeting with the centenarian, Tei said it was aimed at getting views and advice, and not for political purposes.

“He is a statesman. I’m just a young man who wants to learn from his experience.

"But I have seen comments on social media alleging that I’m involved in a conspiracy. I just laughed. None of it is true," he said.

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