Kota Kinabalu: The trial of two former assemblymen charged with receiving and giving bribes totalling RM350,000 in connection with applications for mineral exploration licences in Sabah has been postponed pending the outcome of a Notice of Motion filed in the High Court.
Sessions Court Judge Elsie Primus allowed the defence application to vacate the hearing dates scheduled for June 16, 18 and 19, and fixed a date in July for an e-review to update the court on the status of the High Court proceedings.
The court was informed that former Sindumin assemblyman Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob and former Tanjung Batu assemblyman Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy had filed a Notice of Motion seeking to transfer their cases to the High Court under Section 417 of the Criminal Procedure Code, with no decision or hearing date having been fixed to date.
On June 30, 2025, Yusof, 69, and Andi, 44, who is also the Kalabakan MP, claimed trial to charges of allegedly receiving RM200,000 and RM150,000 respectively from businessman Datuk Tei Jiann Cheing, also known as Albert Tei, as inducements to facilitate prospecting licence applications for mineral exploration in Sabah in 2023.
Both are charged under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, while the court also extended their bail pending disposal of the cases, with the prosecution indicating it intends to call 40 witnesses, and Tei's separate trial having likewise been postponed.
