Former aide to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, Edmund Teoh, pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court today to two charges linked to the procurement of interactive smartboards for schools in the Seputeh constituency.
Teoh, now employed by a p-hailing company, denied charges of cheating and corruption before judge Suzana Hussin.
For the first charge, Teoh was accused of deceiving Kok by allegedly claiming that only two schools in Seputeh had applied for contributions of Interactive Smart Boards, despite allegedly knowing that 16 schools had submitted applications.
The alleged deception was said to have induced Kok to approve the contribution application through the MyKhas system under the Projek Mesra Rakyat programme for the Seputeh parliamentary constituency.
The former Federal Territories DAP publicity secretary was charged under Section 417 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of five years, a fine, or both, upon conviction.
On the second charge, Teoh was accused of corruptly receiving RM500,000 in cash from one Ainuddin Aminuddin at the parking area of a Shell petrol station in Jalan Kuchai Maju, Kuchai Lama, on Aug 12, 2024.
At the time, he was allegedly serving as an office assistant to the Seputeh MP.
The money was allegedly an inducement to help Ainuddin secure contributions for the supply of Interactive Smart Boards and related equipment to 16 schools in the Seputeh parliamentary constituency through a company owned by Ainuddin’s wife.
He was charged under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Julaila Jamaluddin proposed bail at RM150,000 with one surety, and requested that Teoh surrender his passport and report regularly to the MACC.
However, defence counsel MN Lo appealed for lower bail, saying Teoh had fully cooperated with investigators throughout the probe.
“He has reported himself eight times without fail, and there is no tendency for him to abscond,” she said.
Lo said Teoh had previously been remanded for four days to assist investigations and had been reporting to the MACC since April 2025.
She added that bail was meant to ensure an accused person’s attendance in court and not to punish him.
Lo also told the court that Teoh earned between RM3,000 and RM4,000 a month and could only afford RM30,000 bail with the help of a friend acting as surety.
Suzana set bail at RM60,000 with one surety and ordered Teoh to surrender his passport and report monthly to the MACC office.
The court fixed July 3 for mention.