Former special assistant to Seputeh MP charged with accepting RM500,000 bribe

KUALA LUMPUR - A former special assistant to Seputeh Member of Parliament (MP) Teresa Kok Suh Kim was charged in the Sessions Court here today with two counts involving fraud and the acceptance of a RM500,000 bribe linked to the procurement of smart boards two years ago.

Edmund Teoh Kheng Yaik, 40, pleaded not guilty after both charges were read out before Judge Suzana Hussin.

"Understood the charges, claim trial,” said the accused, dressed in a white shirt, from the dock.

On the first count, Teoh is accused of deceiving Kok, 62, into believing that only two schools in the Seputeh parliamentary constituency had applied for contributions under the Interactive Smart Board initiative, despite allegedly knowing that 16 schools had actually submitted applications.

The alleged deception is said to have induced Kok to approve the application through the MyKhas system under the Seputeh Parliament People-Friendly Project, consent she would not have granted had she not been deceived.

Teoh is accused of committing the offence at the Seputeh MP Service Centre office in Sri Desa Entrepreneurs Park, Jalan 1/116B, off Jalan Kuchai Lama here, in June 2024.

The charge, framed under Section 417 of the Penal Code, carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction.

For the second charge, Teoh is alleged to have received a RM500,000 cash bribe from a 37-year-old man at the parking area of a petrol station in Jalan Kuchai Maju, Kuchai Lama, on Aug 12, 2024.

The bribe was allegedly an inducement to assist the man in securing donations for the supply of interactive smart boards and related equipment to 16 schools within the parliamentary constituency through TMT IT Solutions, a company owned by the man's wife.

The charge was brought under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and is punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act, which provides for a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of no less than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Julaila Jamaludin offered bail of RM150,000 with one surety, along with additional conditions requiring the accused to surrender his passport to the court.

She also requested that the accused report to the MACC office nearest to his residence once a month and refrain from interfering with prosecution witnesses, either directly or through third parties.

However, defence counsel M.N. Lo appealed for a lower bail amount, citing that his client currently works for Lalamove and earns between RM3,000 and RM4,000 a month, while also supporting a school-going child.

"My client has cooperated fully throughout the investigation and has reported to the MACC office eight times without fail. Therefore, there is no flight risk.

"The purpose of bail is to ensure the accused's attendance in court, and the proposed surety, who is the accused's friend, is present today and has prepared RM30,000 for bail," the lawyer said.

Judge Suzana set bail at RM60,000 with one surety, together with the additional conditions requested by the prosecution, and fixed July 3 for mention. - BERNAMA