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 against three charges involving RM2.8 million in corruption.
The couple appeared at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya on Monday for the decision on the prosecution’s appeal. Bung Moktar, 65, and Zizie Izette, 46, were seen entering the courtroom at 8.45 am.
The ruling was delivered at 9 am by a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeal, comprising Justice Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim, Justice Datuk Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, and Justice Datuk Noorin Badaruddin.
With the panel upholding the prosecution’s appeal, the case will be sent back to the Sessions Court for the couple to present their defence.
According to the first charge, Bung, who was then the Non-Executive Chairman of Felcra Berhad, is accused of corruptly obtaining RM2.2 million in cash through his wife, Zizie Izette, from Public Mutual Berhad investment agent Madhi Abdul Hamid.
The sum was allegedly a reward for obtaining approval from the Second Finance Minister for Felcra to invest RM150 million in Public Mutual unit trust products. The offence was said to have occurred at Public Bank Berhad, Taman Melawati Branch, No. 262-265, Jalan Bandar 12, Taman Melawati, between 12.30 pm and 5pm on June 12, 2015.
The second charge accuses Bung of corruptly obtaining RM262,500 in cash from the same individual through a Public Islamic Treasures Growth Fund (PITGF) account registered under Zizie Izette’s name for a similar purpose.
He is also accused of obtaining RM337,500 in cash from Public Mutual Berhad investment agent Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar through a Public Ittikal Sequel Fund (PITSEQ) account registered under Zizie Izette’s name for the same objective. Both these acts were allegedly committed at the same location on June 19, 2015 at 12:16 pm and 12.28 pm, respectively.
The charges were filed under Subsection 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 (MACC Act) and are punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act.
If convicted, they face a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Zizie Izette has pleaded not guilty to three charges of abetting her husband in connection with the same matter, at the same place, date, and time.
The charges were brought under Section 28(1)(c) of the MACC Act and are punishable under Subsection 24(1) of the same Act, carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of not less than five times the bribe’s value or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if convicted.
The prosecution had filed the appeal on September 18 last year after the High Court, led by Judge Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid, acquitted the couple.
This followed the High Court in Kuala Lumpur’s ruling in favour of the couple’s application for a review of the Sessions Court’s September 2, 2022 decision, which had initially directed them to defend themselves against the charges. – November 18, 2024