KUALA LUMPUR – Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin and his wife Datin Seri Zizie Izette Abdul Samad have been ordered to enter their defence on corruption charges linked to RM2.8 million in unit trust investments.
Sessions court judge Rozina Ayob has ruled that the prosecution has established a prima facie case against the duo.
She said the decision was made “after examining the testimonies with due caution and care as well as upon considering the evidence as a whole”.
In response, Zizie Izette’s lawyer Datuk K. Kumaraendran, who spoke on behalf of the pair, informed the court that both the accused will be giving testimonies under oath in their defence.
Bung Moktar’s counsel M. Athimulan said the defence will be calling 10 witnesses, including the duo and two Felcra Bhd directors.
He also requested for the trial to resume in December as Bung Moktar will have to attend the Parliament sitting in his official capacity as Kinabatangan MP between October 3 and November 29.
“I am looking to set a date (for the trial to resume) in September. I am giving priority to this case,” Rozina said in response.
Kumaraendran then pleaded to the court to reconsider as the defence requires more time to prepare the case and the lawyers have other cases to attend to.
“I myself have six other clients with court dates in September, (is the court) supposed to adjourn their cases just for (Bung Moktar)?
“The cases we fixed earlier should take precedence, they cannot simply be adjourned at the expense of (Bung Moktar’s case).”
Despite that, the court fixed September 23 and 26, October 14 and 28, November 21 and 30, December 1 and 7; and January 3, 9-13, 2023.
On May 17, the prosecution closed its case after calling 30 witnesses to testify at the trial which began on January 2, 2020.
Among the prosecution witnesses called to testify were former finance minister II Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah, former Felcra Investments general manager Adnan Yusof, Felcra board member Habibah Suleiman, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission assistant superintendent Norsharil Saharom, as well as Public Mutual investment agents Madhi Abdul Hamid and Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar.
The case is handled by deputy public prosecutors Datuk Faridz Gohim Abdullah, Mohd Sophian Zakaria, and Law Chin How, while lawyer M. Athimulan represents Bung Moktar, and lawyers Kumaraendran and Ridha Abdah Subri are counsels for Zizie Izette.
On May 3, 2019, Bung Moktar pleaded not guilty to three charges of accepting bribes amounting to RM2.8 million to obtain approval for Felcra Bhd to invest RM150 million in Public Mutual unit trusts.
According to the first charge, Bung Moktar, who was then the non-executive chairman of Felcra, was accused of accepting bribes of RM2.2 million in cash from Public Mutual investment agent Madhi, through Zizie Izette, at Public Bank’s Taman Melawati branch here between 12.30pm and 5pm on June 12, 2015.
For the second charge, Bung Moktar is accused of accepting a bribe of RM262,500 in cash from Madhi through the Public Islamic Treasures Growth Fund account registered in the name of Zizie Izette, for a similar purpose.
Bung Moktar is also accused of accepting a bribe of RM337,500 in cash from Public Mutual investment agent Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar through the Public Ittikal Sequel Fund also registered under Zizie Izette.
The latter two offences were allegedly committed at the same location at 12.16pm and 12.28pm, on June 19, 2015.
Zizie, 44, pleaded not guilty to three charges of abetting her husband in the matter at the same place, date, and time. – The Vibes, September 2, 2022
