Sabah Deputy Chief Minister I Jeffrey Kitingan blamed a “hidden hand” aiming to destabilise the state government as the source of allegations linking him to a mining licence corruption scandal.
He questioned the timing of the scandal’s exposé and motives behind it while denying any wrongdoing.
“We see that there is a hidden hand moving around and planning all this behind the scenes,” said the Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) president as quoted by Malay Mail.
He also admitted to meeting businessperson Albert Tei, who is also the whistleblower in the scandal, around the same time the video implicating him was taken.
“We have met before. That’s how we came to know him - when he was going around meeting businesspeople. Based on the date of the meeting, I think it coincided with a parliamentary pre-council in Kuala Lumpur,” Kitingan said.
Yesterday, Tei was charged in court with bribing Sabah Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Assistant Minister Andi Suryady Bandy and Sindumin assemblyperson Yusof Yacob to get help with mineral prospecting licences.
The day before, Kitingan denied allegations that he received RM1.78 million in bribes in connection with the scandal.
On Saturday, Malaysiakini reported that six more Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) politicians from Star and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) have been implicated in the corruption scandal that has upended Chief Minister Hajiji Noor’s administration.
A source furnished Malaysiakini with screenshots purportedly taken from video recordings involving the six leaders, purportedly involving a total of RM3.96 million.
Kitingan cries entrapment over leaked videos
Speaking further on the matter, Kitingan noted the release of the videos had come in waves, claiming they could be a form of punishment “when we don’t bow to them or whatever”.
“I have no idea who took the footage, but it all looks pre-planned to take us down. It’s like an entrapment,” he said.
His party will soon lodge a police report and mull what to do next, he added.
Besides that, Kitingan said he had not heard from the MACC since the latest release of videos.
He said he last met the agency during the first round of investigations.
“We went to the MACC office and gave an explanation already. After that, we never heard from them. So we assumed it had nothing to do with us - until suddenly this came out. We were shocked,” he explained.
The scandal broke late last year when Tei released a series of video clips showing the state leaders purportedly discussing bribes.
Yesterday, Yusof was charged with receiving RM200,000 in bribes from Tei in March 2023 to help process a prospecting licence for Syarikat Nusa Kini Sdn Bhd.
Andi was also charged with receiving RM150,000 in cash from Tei to facilitate a licence application for Syarikat Sinaran Hayat Sdn Bhd.
Remove tainted leaders, says Sabah Umno
Meanwhile, Sabah Umno strategic communications director Datu Rosman Datu Ahir Zaman called for the elected representatives implicated in the scandal to be relieved of their duties.
He said in a statement today that a government’s legitimacy depends on the public’s trust in its leaders’ ability to act in the people’s interest.
When that trust is gone, he said it is the government’s responsibility to either relieve the elected representatives involved or hand over power to the people.
However, the state government seemingly allows corruption in its institutions without upholding integrity, Rosman said.
“The Sabah chief minister appears to prefer saving certain parties and individuals rather than improving state government institutions,” he added. - FMT
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