The three are assistant state industrial development and entrepreneurship minister Andi Suryady Bandy, Sindumin assemblyman Dr Yusof Yacob and businessman Albert Tei.
Andi and Yusof were charged with receiving RM150,000 and RM200,000 in bribes respectively, while Tei was charged with two counts of giving the bribes, reported Berita Harian.
All three entered not-guilty pleas before judge Jason Juga at the special corruption court in Kota Kinabalu.
Andi, the Tanjung Batu assemblyman and Kalabakan MP, is from Umno but has been suspended from the party, while Yusof is from Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah.
The scandal surfaced last year following the leak of several videos purportedly showing discussions involving bribery and misconduct related to mineral exploration projects in Sabah.
Andi, 44, was charged with receiving a bribe of RM150,000 from Tei, 37, as an inducement to assist in the processing of a mining licence application by Sinaran Hayat Sdn Bhd in Sabah.
He is alleged to have committed the offence at around 11pm on May 12, 2023, at his residence on Jalan Pantai, Sembulan.
Meanwhile, Yusof, 69, is accused of receiving RM200,000 from Tei as an inducement to assist in the processing of a mining licence application by Nusa Kini Sdn Bhd to explore minerals in Sabah.
He is alleged to have committed the offence at around 2pm on March 6, 2023, at Rooftop Bar & Grill @ Hilton Kota Kinabalu.
Both Andi and Yusof were charged under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act.
If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Tei was charged with offering bribes to both assemblymen under Section 16(b)(A) of the MACC Act 2009, also punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act.
The court has set Aug 5 for pre-trial case management.
Andi and Yusof were each released on bail of RM50,000, with RM10,000 to be deposited with the court, along with one local surety.
Tei was released on bail of RM60,000 on both charges, with RM15,000 to be deposited and one local surety.
The court also ordered all three accused to report to the MACC office every two months and to surrender their passports to the court.
Additionally, the court reminded them not to interfere with prosecution witnesses while the case is ongoing.
The prosecution was led by MACC deputy public prosecutors Nurul Izzati Sapifee and Rustam Sanip, together with prosecuting officer Rekhraj Singh.
The two assemblymen were represented by lawyers Ram Singh, Rizwandean Bukhary Borhan, Shahlan Jufri and Jaharah Patimbangi.
Tei was represented by Edward Paul, Batholomew Jingulam and Jul Hamri Jumhani.