KUALA LUMPUR – Businessman Albert Tei had his statement recorded by the police today in regard to his alleged defamatory remarks against Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki.
Tei arrived at the Bukit Aman police headquarters about 10.44 am, accompanied by his lawyers N. Surendran and Mahajoth Singh, before the session concluded about 12.40 pm.
In a press conference, Surendran said his client was summoned to Bukit Aman today to assist in an investigation under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act and Section 500 of the Penal Code.
This came after a MACC officer lodged a police report on November 27 over a viral video clip on social media, featuring a woman and Tei, containing the said allegations against Azam.
Earlier this month, Tei filed a civil suit against the MACC, Azam, and the federal government over his treatment while under investigation.
In the suit, Tei alleged that he was compelled to wear an orange lock-up shirt despite not having been charged at the time, and that created the impression that he was already guilty.
Last December 4, Tei claimed trial at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to four corruption charges involving RM176,829.03. He is accused of giving bribes to Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, a former political secretary to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, on several occasions between November 2023 and March 2024 as an inducement for his companies to obtain mineral exploration licences in Sabah.
Prior to being charged, a group of MACC officers reportedly dressed in tactical gear, complete with bulletproof vests and balaclavas, stormed Tei’s house in Puchong, Selangor, before handcuffing the businessman and taking him away in a black vehicle.
His wife, Lee Pei Rie, claimed that the team broke in through the main door, handcuffed Tei, and one of the officers pointed a gun at him.
Azam denied Lee’s claim that his officers held a gun against Tei’s head during his arrest, and said the raid was done according to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). – January 29, 2026