KUALA LUMPUR (April 9): The Sessions Court here has allowed a stay of the defence trial of Kinabatangan Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin and his wife Datin Seri Zizie Izette Abdul Samad, over three corruption charges totalling RM2.8 million.
The stay was granted by judge Rosli Ahmad on Wednesday, after the prosecution, led by deputy public prosecutor Fadly Zambry, did not pose any objections to the stay application.
The couple were seeking a stay of entering their defence in the trial, as they were seeking a review of the Court of Appeal's decision ordering the couple to enter their defence on the charges.
Fadly informed the court that the Court of Appeal had set April 11 for case management for the review.
Previously, the trial for the couple was scheduled to run from Wednesday (April 9) to April 11, 14 and 15, and May 5 to 6.
Following the new development, the court fixed the trial to commence from Aug 18 to 20, Sept 2 to 4, and Sept 24 to 26, pending the review.
On Sept 2, 2022, Sessions Court judge Rozina Ayub had ordered Bung Moktar and Zizie Izette to enter their defence on all three corruption charges after finding that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against them at the end of the prosecution case.
Bung Moktar and Zizie Izette appealed this decision at the High Court, and on Sept 7, 2023, the High Court found there was no prima facie case and acquitted the couple.
The prosecution appealed this decision at the Court of Appeal, and on Nov 18 last year, the appellate court ordered Bung Moktar and Zizie Izette to enter their defence on the three corruption charges and sent the case back to the Sessions Court. It is for this Court of Appeal decision that the two are seeking a review.
Bung Moktar, 65, who was then the non-executive chairman of Felcra Bhd, was charged on May 3, 2019, with two charges of accepting bribes of RM2.2 million and RM262,500 as an inducement to obtain Felcra’s approval to invest RM150 million in Public Mutual unit trusts.
He was alleged to have accepted the bribes from Public Mutual Bhd’s investment agent Madhi Abdul Hamid through Zizie Izette, 46, at the Public Bank Taman Melawati branch here between 12.30pm and 5pm on June 12, 2015.
Bung Moktar was also charged with receiving RM337,500 in cash from Public Mutual investment agent Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar through a Public Ittikal Sequel Fund (PITSEQ) under Zizie Izette’s name for the same purpose.
Zizie Izette was charged with three counts of abetting her husband over the matter at the same place, date, and time.