KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 — Former senior political secretary to the prime minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin was charged in the Sessions Court here today with four counts of corruption amounting to RM176,829.03 in connection with mineral exploration licence approval in Sabah.
Shamsul Iskandar @ Yusre Mohd Akin, 50, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to him before Judge Suzana Hussin.
“I understand (the charges), (I) plead not guilty and request trial,” Shamsul Iskandar said calmly.
Shamsul Iskandar, who was serving as the Senior Political Secretary to the Prime Minister at the time of the alleged offences, is accused of agreeing to accept a bribe of RM100,000 in cash from businessman Albert Tei Jiann Cheing, 37, at a hotel car park in Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin here on Nov 24, 2023.
The payment was allegedly given as an inducement for him to assist companies in which Tei had interests to obtain mineral exploration licence approvals in Sabah, even though the matter was not connected to his principal affairs.
Shamsul Iskandar is also charged with obtaining another bribe of RM40,000 in cash from Tei for the same purpose at a premises in Jalan Medang Serai, Bukit Bandaraya here on Jan 29, 2024.
He further faces two additional charges of receiving bribes in the form of furniture and electrical items worth RM14,580.03 and RM22,249, respectively, from the same individual for similar purposes.
The two offences were allegedly committed at a premises in Jalan Medang Serai, Bukit Bandaraya here between Dec 7, 2023 and Jan 31, 2024, and at Jalan P14a 1/1, Precinct 14, Putrajaya between Feb 26 and March 5, 2024.
