KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 — A former aide to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to two charges involving cheating and allegedly receiving RM500,000 in gratification linked to school smart board applications, according to Free Malaysia Today (FMT).

FMT reported that Edmund Teoh, 40, was accused of deceiving Kok into believing that only two schools in her constituency had applied for funding for interactive smart boards, when in fact 16 schools had submitted applications.

According to the report, he allegedly induced Kok to allow him to process the applications through the MyKhas system under the Mesra Rakyat programme.

The offence was allegedly committed at Kok’s service centre at Sri Desa Entrepreneurs Park in Kuchai Lama in June 2024.

The charge was framed under Section 417 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail sentence of up to five years, a fine, or both upon conviction.

Teoh also faced a charge of allegedly receiving RM500,000 from one Ainuddin Aminuddin, 36, as an inducement to help secure smart board supply contracts for 16 schools in Seputeh through TMTIT Solutions, a company owned by Ainuddin’s wife.

According to FMT, the alleged offence took place at a Shell petrol station in Kuchai Lama on August 12, 2024.

The charge was framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24(1), which carries a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of at least five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

Teoh pleaded not guilty before Sessions Court judge Suzana Hussin, FMT reported 

Deputy public prosecutor Julaila Jamaluddin proposed bail at RM150,000, along with additional conditions including surrendering his passport, monthly reporting to MACC and refraining from contacting prosecution witnesses.

Defence counsel MN Lo, however, requested lower bail, saying Teoh’s surety could only afford RM30,000.

Lo also told the court his client currently works with a p-hailing company earning about RM4,000 a month and had cooperated fully with investigators.

Judge Suzana allowed bail at RM60,000 with the additional conditions requested by the prosecution, and fixed July 3 for mention.