Warisan Are 2 Charged Reps Sacrifical Lambs In Sabah Scandal

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Sabah opposition party Warisan questioned whether the two assemblypersons charged in the corruption scandal in the state were sacrificial lambs of the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition.
ADSWarisan information chief Azis Jamman expressed his belief that the pair were sacrificed to present a perception that the scandal was being handled.
“What is the difference between these two and the others?” he asked in a podcast on Thursday (Aug 7).
Azis (above) pointed to the trove of evidence that was released by businessperson and whistleblower Albert Tei, purportedly implicating another six assemblypersons, which was turned over to the MACC.
On Tuesday (Aug 5), Bersatu vice-president Ronald Kiandee raised the same questions, alleging selective prosecution.
The Beluran MP said the two charged did not hold any high-level party positions, unlike the other six.
On June 30, Tei claimed trial to two counts of giving bribes under Section 16(b)(B) of the MACC Act 2009.
He is accused of bribing Sabah Assistant Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Andi Suryady Bandy and Sindumin assemblyperson Yusof Yacob to help with obtaining mineral prospecting licences, both of whom were charged with receiving bribes at the same time.
Sabah Assistant Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Andi Suryady Bandy (left) and Sindumin assemblyperson Yusof YacobCommenting further, Azis said the federal government, the MACC, and the Attorney-General’s Chambers have yet to explain the lack of charges against the six other assemblypersons.
He also said he would be angry if he were one of the two.
“We eat (the bribes) together, but only the two of us were punished,” he said, expressing his views on how he would react if he were one of the two “sacrificial lambs”.
Court charges and allegations
Andi - who is also the Kalabakan MP - was charged under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
ADSYusof, who is also the Qhazanah Sabah chairperson, was charged with receiving RM200,000 in cash from Tei at the Hilton Hotel’s rooftop bar in Kota Kinabalu on March 6, 2023. The bribe was allegedly meant to help process a prospecting licence for Syarikat Nusa Kini Sdn Bhd.
Tei had released more evidence over the weekend before the hearing, purportedly implicating six more politicians in the mining scandal.
Those implicated include the top leaders of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), both key components of the ruling GRS coalition.
Star president Jeffrey Kitingan and PBS deputy president Jahid Jahim have denied the accusations levelled against them. - Mkini

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