Albert pounces on shares scandal, lodges report against Azam

 

Businessperson Albert Tei, who was dramatically detained by armed MACC officers last November and has repeatedly criticised the commission’s handling of his Sabah mining scandal revelations, has now seized the opportunity to strike back.

Following media reports on Azam’s shareholding, Tei (above, right), who had even claimed that a high-ranking MACC officer had threatened him not to pursue the mining scandal involving 15 politicians, lodged a report with the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters this morning.

The businessperson, who spent seven days in a MACC lock-up and has been charged twice over the Sabah scandal, questioned Azam’s financial capacity to purchase the shares.

Tei claimed that based on the MACC chief commissioner’s estimated salary and allowances, Azam would not have been able to purchase the shares.

“This is illogical, unreasonable. I have calculated his salary as the MACC chief commissioner, including various allowances,” he alleged.

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‘Breached govt circular’

Accusing Azam of breaching the Public Service Department (PSD) circular, Tei asked who had granted the chief commissioner special approval.

“Who granted him the exemption?” he asked, adding if it was Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The shareholding rule states that civil servants cannot acquire more than RM100,000 worth of shares in a single company.

Speaking to Malaysiakini later, Tei said that in light of the new revelations, the authorities must also re-examine Azam’s previous share ownership controversy, as well as the Bloomberg report which accused MACC’s top brass of colluding with business figures in schemes to edge out corporate rivals and orchestrate takeovers.

In 2022, Azam, whose tenure has been extended three times by Anwar, was accused of having owned shares in two companies in 2015.

Azam initially claimed that his younger brother had used his share trading account to purchase shares in 2015.

The explanation sparked further questions over whether this breached securities laws, which stipulate transactions may only be carried out by the account holder or an authorised nominee.

The Securities Commission subsequently clarified that Azam retained control of the account.

As for the latest controversy, Azam was found to have held a substantial stake in financial services firm Velocity Capital Partner Berhad and Awanbiru Technology Berhad.

The government has announced the formation of a special task force to investigate the matter, while Azam, who has maintained that he committed no wrongdoing, said he is prepared to be investigated. - Mkini