Albert Tei fails in bid to move five corruption charges to High Court

On September 18, the High Court declined to transfer five corruption charges against businessman Albert Tei, also known as Tei Jiann Cheing, to the higher court. The judge, Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin, dismissed the application, stating that the issues were not complex and could be handled adequately in the Sessions Court. Tei, 37, faces charges of giving RM140,000 cash bribes, along with furniture and electrical appliances worth RM14,580.03 and RM22,249, to Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, the former senior political secretary to the Prime Minister.

The allegations suggest these bribes were intended to secure Shamsul Iskandar's help in obtaining mineral exploration licenses for companies associated with Tei, despite having no connection to Tei's principal's business. The offenses occurred between November 24, 2023, and March 5, 2024, at various locations in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

Tei also allegedly bribed Shamsul Iskandar with RM64,924 at a bank in Kajang between November 28, 2023, and September 23, 2024. All charges fall under Section 17(b) of the MACC Act 2009, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of at least five times the bribe amount, or RM10,000, whichever is greater.