Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s former senior political secretary, Shamsul Iskandar Akin, was greeted with chants of “Hidup Shamsul” (Long live Shamsul) and “Bebas Shamsul” by a group of supporters as he exited the Kuala Lumpur court complex.
Speaking to reporters, the Malacca PKR chief vowed to prove his innocence in court after being charged with receiving bribes from businessperson Albert Tei over the Sabah mining scandal.
“God willing, I’ll prove my innocence. We will follow the legal path of the court process.
“And from the beginning, as media friends know, I took a proactive stance and cooperated fully with the MACC to complete the investigation and, God willing, clear my name,” said the former Hang Tuah Jaya MP.
Shamsul is facing four charges of taking RM176,830 in bribes from Tei, who is also charged with giving the bribes, allegedly to help the businessperson’s companies obtain mineral mining licences in Sabah.
His charges include two counts of taking cash totalling RM140,000, while the remainder of the bribes were in the form of furniture and appliances.
Shamsul’s lawyer, Amer Hamzah Arshad, also told reporters that his client has maintained his innocence at all times.
“Immediately after the news of the allegations, he (Shamsul) lodged a police report in Sandakan while he was in Sabah for the (state election) campaign.
“He made the police report to clear the accusations that had been hurled at him and also at PMX (Anwar),” he added.
However, it was previously reported that Shamsul’s police report against Tei was linked to a video involving Anwar and recordings of several Sabah politicians in the mining scandal, and there was no mention of the allegations against him.
Don’t speculate
Lawyer Yusmadi Yusoff, who is also part of Shamsul’s legal team, cautioned against speculation.
“The case has just begun; there is no need for us to speculate because I see many comments that I feel have crossed the line, and I will not hesitate to look into any comments that go beyond what is appropriate,” he said.
Shamsul was charged under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act for receiving bribes, while Tei was charged under Section 17(b) for giving bribes. Both offences carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in jail and a fine of at least five times the amount involved.
Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court judge Suzana Hussin, who presided over both charges, set bail at RM150,000 with two sureties for Shamsul, and RM70,000 with two sureties for Tei.
- Mkini
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