Businessman Albert Tei Charged Again, This Time Over RM64,924 Bribe Linked to Mining Licence

Businessman Albert Tei, 37, taken to the Sessions Court in Shah Alam, Selangor for a corruption charge on December 5, 2025. - Picture credit goes to Bernama

SHAH ALAM, Dec 5 — Businessman Albert Tei Jiann Cheing was charged in the Sessions Court today with giving a RM64,924 bribe to former senior political secretary to the prime minister, Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, in connection with efforts to secure approval for a mineral exploration licence in Sabah.

Tei, pleaded not guilty before Judge Datuk Mohd Nasir Nordin, denying that he made rental payments amounting to RM62,924 into a woman’s bank account between Nov 28, 2023 and Sept 23, 2024 as an inducement for Shamsul Iskandar to assist companies linked to him. The payment was allegedly intended to support applications related to Sabah mineral exploration activities.

The charge was filed under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of at least five times the bribery amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

Judge Mohd Nasir allowed the prosecution’s request to apply the same bail conditions imposed on Tei yesterday in Kuala Lumpur, where he faced four similar charges involving RM176,000. Bail was previously set at RM70,000 with two Malaysian sureties, along with conditions requiring monthly MACC check-ins and prohibiting interference with witnesses. Today’s case was ordered to be transferred to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to be heard together on Jan 8, 2026.