FORMER aide, Edmund Teoh Kheng Yaik, pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court today to one charge of defrauding Seputeh Member of Parliament, Teresa Kok Suh Sim, regarding school donations under the Mesra Rakyat Project and another of receiving a bribe of RM500,000 two years ago.
Edmund, 40, made the plea after the charge was read before Judge Suzana Hussin.
"Understand, not guilty," he said, who appeared in court wearing a white shirt.
According to the first charge, the man is accused of deceiving Teresa, 62, into believing that only two schools in the parliament were applying for 'Interactive Smart Board' donations when the accused knew that 16 other schools were applying for the same assistance.
He deliberately induced Teresa to agree to the accused making the donation application through the My-Khas system under the Seputeh Parliament's Mesra Rakyat Project, which the leader would not have agreed to if she had not been deceived.
The offence was allegedly committed at the Seputeh Member of Parliament's Service Centre Office, Off Jalan Kuchai Lama in June 2024.
For the offence of cheating, he can be punished under Section 417 of the Penal Code, which carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, or a fine, or both, if convicted.
For the second charge, he, who was also the Seputeh Member of Parliament's Office Assistant, is charged with receiving a bribe of RM500,000 from a 37-year-old man.
This was an inducement, helping to obtain contributions for the supply of Interactive Smart Boards and related equipment to 16 schools in the parliament, by TMT IT Solutions, owned by the man's wife.
The offence was allegedly committed at a petrol station car park in Kuchai Lama here on August 12, 2024.
The charge was made under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which is punishable under Section 24(1) of the same act, carrying a prison sentence not exceeding 20 years, a fine of not less than five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if convicted. - May 11, 2026
