KINABATANGAN Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin and his wife, Datin Seri Zizie Izette Abdul Samad, have successfully secured a postponement in their defence against corruption charges amounting to RM2.8 million.
The decision was made during a hearing at the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur today.
Judge Rosli Ahmad ruled in favour of the suspension after Bung Moktar’s lawyer, M. Athimulan, informed the court that the prosecution had raised no objections to the request.
The defence requested the delay until the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya resolves the matter regarding their application to seek a review of the defence order.
“We have filed arguments for this application, and this morning we were informed that the prosecution has no objections to the suspension of these proceedings,” Athimulan said. He was accompanied by Datuk Seri K Kumaraendran, who is representing Zizie Izette, 47.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Law Chin How confirmed that the prosecution did not oppose the suspension, after receiving further instructions. “Since the order for suspension has been granted, we request that a trial date be set once the review application is resolved,” Sinar Harian cited Law adding.
As a result, Judge Rosli set a new trial schedule, which includes dates in August and September 2025. The previously scheduled trial dates in April and May, including those set for April 9-11, April 14-15, and May 5-6, have been vacated.
In November last year, the Court of Appeal ordered the couple to stand trial on three corruption charges, overturning the earlier decision by the High Court that had acquitted them in September 2023.
In the charges, Bung Moktar, 65, the former non-executive chairman of Felcra Berhad, was accused of accepting RM2.2 million and RM262,500 in bribes in exchange for securing approval for Felcra’s RM150 million investment in Public Mutual unit trusts.
While, Zizie Izette, 46, is alleged to have acted as a conduit for these bribes, which were allegedly handed over by Public Mutual’s investment agent, Madhi Abdul Hamid, at a Public Bank branch in Taman Melawati on June 12, 2015.
Bung Moktar is also accused of receiving another RM337,500 in bribes through an account registered in his wife’s name, which was intended to facilitate the same investment approval process. - April 9, 2025
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