KOTA KINABALU, Sept 23 — Barred from entering Sabah, businessman Datuk Albert Tei will seek court assistance to enter Sabah again after he was blacklisted by the chief minister’s department.
Bringing the matter up in corruption court, Tei’s lawyer Edward Paul said Tei needed to be ensured he is able to enter Sabah freely to prepare his defence in the ongoing corruption case.
“Our concern is about his right to bear his defence for this case. He would need to come to Sabah every now and then to meet with us for the purpose of preparing for this trial,” said Edward, urging the prosecution to clarify whether Tei would be permitted entry beyond court dates.
The ban was put into place in August.
Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Rustam Sanip said the prosecution had only been made aware of the restriction yesterday afternoon after being contacted by the investigating officer (IO).
“A notice of hearing was immediately served on the accused, requiring his presence for today’s mention,” he said
Rustam added that he would liaise with the said agency to allow the accused entry again.
Speaking to reporters later, Tei said the move was an attempt to silence him and prevent him from seeking justice.
“I am not a criminal, nor am I a threat. I came to Sabah to defend myself in court and to seek justice. Clearly, this was an attempt to obstruct me.
“If I could not enter Sabah, my case would be struck out and the two YBs charged would be saved. This shows that the chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor is interfering and protecting them,” said Tei.
