Businessman Albert Tei Jiann Cheing entered a plea of not guilty to four corruption charges alleging that he provided more than RM176,000 in cash, furniture, and electrical appliances to former senior political secretary Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin. The alleged offences were said to have taken place between November 2023 and March 2024, forming part of what investigators believe was an attempt to secure mineral exploration approvals in Sabah for his companies.
Tei appeared before the Sessions Court dressed in a light green shirt and dark blazer, responding firmly as the charges were read. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) charged him under Section 17(b) of the MACC Act, a provision that criminalises giving gratification to an agent for actions tied to the principal’s affairs. If convicted, each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of no less than RM10,000 or five times the value of the bribe.
The court set Tei’s bail at RM70,000 with two Malaysian sureties. He was ordered to surrender his passport, report monthly to the nearest MACC office, and avoid any contact with prosecution witnesses. His case has been scheduled for mention on January 8.
The charges against Tei outlined four alleged transactions: RM100,000 in cash at a hotel carpark in Kuala Lumpur, RM14,580 worth of furnishings delivered to a residence in Bukit Bandaraya, RM40,000 in cash at the same property, and RM22,249 in home items reportedly handed over at a Putrajaya address. According to prosecutors, these payments were intended to induce Shamsul, then acting as an agent of the Malaysian government, to assist in securing mineral exploration licences.
Shamsul, who was earlier charged before the same judge, also pleaded not guilty to receiving the alleged bribes. His bail was set at RM150,000 with identical conditions, and his case will be mentioned on the same date.
During arguments on bail, deputy public prosecutor Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan sought RM300,000, saying the alleged offences were serious and carried potential fines exceeding RM800,000. She further warned that Tei was a possible flight risk because of his business interests abroad and raised concerns about alleged attempts to influence witnesses.
Tei’s counsel Latheefa Koya countered with a proposed RM21,000 bail, citing precedents from similar corruption cases. She argued that Tei had cooperated with investigators, had already surrendered his passport in Sabah, and consistently fulfilled his reporting obligations. She stressed that her client had family responsibilities and that an excessively high bail would cause undue hardship. Latheefa dismissed claims of witness interference, adding that Tei was the individual who initially provided information central to the charges.
After weighing submissions, the court settled on RM70,000 as a fair balance between public interest and the accused’s circumstances. Tei was represented by a legal team that included Eric Paulsen, N. Surendran, Rajesh Nagarajan, Mahajoth Singh, and Reenajit Kaur.
Both linked cases will resume in early January as one of the country’s most closely watched corruption proceedings moves into its next phase.
FlyingBird (aicashflow7@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.