NGO lodges police report against Albert Tei for defaming Hajiji

KUALA LUMPUR: A Sabah-based non-governmental organisation has lodged a police report against businessman Albert Tei, accusing him of criminal defamation and character assassination of Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor over the state’s mining scandal.

Gerakan Kuasa Rakyat Malaysia (G57) chairman Datuk Zulkarnain Mahdar said he lodged the report following a social media post in which Tei allegedly accused Hajiji of being the mastermind behind the scandal.

“I am lodging the report because I want the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to investigate the matter,” he said.

The scandal surfaced in 2024 following the leak of several videos purportedly showing discussions involving bribery and misconduct linked to mineral exploration projects in Sabah.

Tei, along with former Sabah assemblymen Datuk Andi Suryady Bandy and Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob, were charged in 2025 with giving and receiving a total of RM350,000 in bribes in connection with applications for mineral prospecting licences in the state. The trio pleaded not guilty.