Hands off, lawyer tells Azam as new video taints MACC boss with latest PMO scandal

The lawyer representing the man at the centre of shocking revelations of bribery and blackmail, which allegedly trace back to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, has warned that any investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) would be devoid of credibility as long as its chief commissioner, Azam Baki, remains in office.

This comes after a second clip surfaced suggesting that Azam was involved in a conspiracy devised by Anwar and his recently resigned political secretary, Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, to have businessman Albert Tei secretly record more than a dozen video clips showing ruling Sabah politicians admitting to receiving bribes in exchange for mineral licences and state projects.

"So long as Azam Baki remains in office, MACC cannot lawfully or credibly investigate these allegations. Any such investigation would be structurally tainted, legally questionable, and fundamentally contrary to the interests of justice and public confidence," said Tei's lawyer Mahajoth Singh.

He said Azam should either "resign, recuse himself or take immediate garden leave", adding that an independent and "truly impartial" party should be appointed to investigate the allegations made by Tei.

"This is not a matter of opinion or politics. It is a matter of law," he added.

On Tuesday, Tei, the man behind explosive videos implicating Sabah Chief Minister and GRS chairman Hajiji Noor and 14 ruling politicians in corrupt practices, revealed that he had spent almost RM630,000 on Shamsul in the hope that the latter would help him negotiate with Hajiji to recover the money he paid to several GRS politicians.

Tei said he paid for renovations, luxury gifts, tailored suits, appliances, furnishings for two properties, as well as cash totalling about RM350,000 for Shamsul.

Tei has provided detailed evidence to support his claim, including a secretly recorded video of a conversation last week with a woman identified as Shamsul's proxy, who has since identified herself as Sofia Rini Buyong.

In the video, Sofia agreed with Tei's suggestion that the money and gifts he spent on Shamsul were in exchange for help in speaking to Hajiji to recover monies paid to ruling Sabah politicians.

Sofia said it was Shamsul and Anwar's idea that Tei secretly record his conversations with various Sabah politicians, which Tei said was for the prime minister to ensure they toe the line.

Following this, a second part of the same conversation surfaced in which Sofia said Azam was also aware of the plot, and that Shamsul had spoken to Azam about the matter.

Amid the storm, Sofia appeared yesterday in a new video denying everything she was heard agreeing with Tei, adding that it was a conspiracy to undermine the government.

Mahajoth said that with the second video implicating Azam's personal involvement in the entire scandal, MACC’s investigation would be “structurally tainted” and “legally questionable”.

"When the head of an investigative agency becomes personally entangled in the allegations under scrutiny, that agency can no longer conduct a credible, impartial or lawful investigation as long as that individual remains in office," he added.

Yesterday, Azam, whose tenure at MACC was extended three times by Anwar's administration, was heavily criticised after he suggested that the allegations by Tei were "tohmahan", a Malay term denoting baseless allegations.

In December last year, Tei began releasing a series of videos through Malaysiakini, implicating Hajiji and more than a dozen state assemblymen, senior Sabah ministers, and a state assembly speaker.

Anti-graft activists subsequently urged Azam and MACC to launch an investigation, saying Tei should be given protection as a whistleblower due to concerns for his safety.

Anwar, however, rejected Tei's request for protection under the Whistleblower Protection Act.

In June, after months of pressure on MACC, two Sabah assemblymen were charged alongside Tei himself with receiving and giving bribes.

Tei, as well as activists and lawyers, have since slammed MACC for targeting "small fish" while sparing senior officials and other "sharks" seen in the videos.