Mining graft case: Two Sabah assemblymen, one civilian to face charges
Published on: Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Published on: Wed, Jun 18, 2025 Text Size: Azam and others at the conference. KOTA KINABALU: Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said two Sabah state assemblymen and a member of the public are in the process of being charged in connection with the Sabah mining corruption case. "They will be charged in court within this month - possibly at the end of the month," he said, though he declined to reveal specific dates pending court scheduling.
Advertisement He told this to reporters after officiating the International Conference on Technology, Management and Sustainability (ICTMS 2025) at UiTM Sabah here on Wednesday. The case involves allegations of corruption linked to mineral licensing in Sabah, with viral video recordings allegedly capturing conversations between individuals and state lawmakers. Azam said MACC's digital forensic analysis had been comprehensive but declined to comment on the authenticity of the videos, as the matter is now sub judice. "When we investigate, we do not just rely on whether the evidence is authentic or not—we also rely on other forms of evidence," he said, adding that human testimony remains crucial alongside digital evidence. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Austrian government agrees on plan to allow monitoring of secure messaging
FILE PHOTO: A view of the Parliament building in Vienna, Austria, September 23, 2024. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File photo VIENNA (Reuters) -Austria's coalition government has agreed on a plan to enable police to monitor suspects' secure messaging in order to thwart militant attacks, ending what security officials have said is a rare and dangerous blind spot for a European Union country. Because Austria lacks a legal framework for monitoring messaging services like WhatsApp, its main domestic intelligence service and police rely on allies with far more sweeping powers like Britain and the United States alerting them to chatter about planned attacks and spying. That kind of tip-off led to police unravelling what they say was a planned attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, which prompted the cancellation of all three of her planned shows there in August of last year. "The aim is to make people planning terrorist attacks in Austria feel less secure - and increase everyone else's sense of security," Joerg Leichtfried of the Social Democrats, the junior minister in charge of overseeing the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN), told a news conference. "That is why this decision by the cabinet today is an important milestone in the fight against terrorism and spying in Austria," he added. Under the new system, monitoring of a person's messaging must be approved by a three-judge panel and should only apply to a limited number of cases. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told the news conference it was only expected to be used on 25-30 people a year. If it is more than 30, a report must be sent to a parliamentary committee, the government said, addressing concerns about mass surveillance and the infringement of people's privacy. "The police must have a well-founded suspicion of a possible terror attack" to monitor a person's messaging under the new system, a government statement said. Once parliament passes the legislation, a tender process for monitoring technology would be launched, and monitoring would begin in 2027, the government said. (Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
No whistleblower protection for Sabah case informant– MACC
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has confirmed that the person set to be charged alongside two Sabah assemblymen in connection with a corruption case involving mineral mining licences is not protected under the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010. Its Legal and Prosecution senior director, Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, said Section 11(1) of the Act clearly states that anyone involved in the offence they report is not eligible for protection. "If a person is involved in the wrongdoing, they are not protected under the Act and therefore cannot be considered a whistleblower," he told Bernama today. He said to qualify for protection, a report must be made in good faith to a recognised enforcement agency such as the MACC, the police, or other authorised government bodies. "Reports made with malicious intent, such as to seek revenge or defame others, do not meet the criteria for protection," he added. Wan Shaharuddin also stressed that a key requirement under Section 11(1) is that the whistleblower must not be complicit in the wrongdoing being reported. If found otherwise, any protection granted may be revoked. "This is to preserve the integrity of the whistleblower framework and prevent it from being misused as a 'shield' by those trying to escape accountability," he said. Earlier, the individual's lawyer claimed his client was a whistleblower who had cooperated with authorities, but was later informed he would be charged in court on June 30. Recently, several video clips allegedly featuring conversations involving certain individuals and Sabah elected representatives discussing corrupt practices linked to mineral mining activities went viral on social media. Previously, MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki confirmed that two Sabah assemblymen and another individual are expected to be charged in court this month in connection with the scandal. – BERNAMA
Barnama
4 hours ago
- Barnama
Individual In Sabah Mineral Licence Case Not Protected Under Whistleblower Act
KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has confirmed that the individual set to be charged alongside two Sabah assemblymen in connection with a corruption case involving mineral mining licences is not protected under the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010. Its Legal and Prosecution senior director, Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, said Section 11(1) of the Act clearly states that anyone involved in the offence they report is not eligible for protection. 'If a person is involved in the wrongdoing, they are not protected under the Act and therefore cannot be considered a whistleblower,' he told Bernama today. He said to qualify for protection, a report must be made in good faith to a recognised enforcement agency such as the MACC, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), or other authorised government bodies. 'Reports made with malicious intent, such as to seek revenge or defame others, do not meet the criteria for protection,' he added. Wan Shaharuddin also stressed that a key requirement under Section 11(1) is that the whistleblower must not be complicit in the wrongdoing being reported. If found otherwise, any protection granted may be revoked. 'This is to preserve the integrity of the whistleblower framework and prevent it from being misused as a 'shield' by those trying to escape accountability,' he said. Earlier, the individual's lawyer claimed his client was a whistleblower who had cooperated with authorities, but was later informed he would be charged in court on June 30. Recently, several video clips allegedly featuring conversations involving certain individuals and Sabah elected representatives discussing corrupt practices linked to mineral mining activities went viral on social media.
