Bung Moktar and wife corruption case: Prosecution closes case, oral submissions on June 24

KUALA LUMPUR: The prosecution in the corruption case of Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin and his wife Datin Seri Zizie Izette Abdul Samad closed its case today after calling 30 witnesses.

Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Law Chin How told Sessions Court Judge Rozina Ayob after Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Assistant Superintendent, Norsharil Saharom, 37, who is the 30th witness finished giving his statement.

Rozina ordered the prosecution and defence to file their written submissions on or before June 17.

She also set June 24 for both parties to give their oral submissions before deciding whether the couple would be acquitted or ordered to enter their defence over corruption charges amounting to RM2.8 million to obtain approval for Felcra Berhad to invest RM150 million in Public Mutual Berhad unit trust.

Also present in the proceeding today were DPP Datuk Faridz Gohim Abdullah and Mohd Sophian Zakaria while Bung Moktar was represented by counsel M. Athimulan and Zizie Izette was represented by Datuk K.Kumaraendran and Ridha Abdah Subri.

Law also informed the court that eight prosecution witnesses were offered to the defence among them were Felcra officer Mariah Husain, Felcra board member Ismail Kasim, Taman Melawati branch Public Bank clerk Nor Azreen Rosli and MACC forensic officer Badri Azni.

Nonetheless, Kumaraendran said the defence did not need the witnesses offered by the prosecution at the moment and the court then decided that all the witnesses offered were not needed by both lawyers.

The case trial began on January 2 2020 and among the prosecution witnesses called to give their statements were former Felcra investment general manager Adnan Yusof, Felcra board member Dr Habibah Suleiman as well as two Public Mutual investment agents, Madhi Abdul Hamid and Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar.

Earlier, Norsharil and two assistant MACC superintendents Hazlina Rahmat, 41, and Saiful Amir Hamzah, 33, told the court that both investment agents, Madhi and Norhaili were not threatened, forced or promised anything to give their statements to charge Bung Moktar and his wife when recording their conversations at MACC headquarters, Putrajaya, in 2016 and 2018.

Hazlina who was the 28th witness said Norhaili was good, healthy and friendly and did not complain anything to him including threats during the recording of their conversation in 2016.

Replying to a question by Law, the witness said Norhaili was allowed to eat, drink and rest during the recording of the conversation apart from accompanying the witness for prayers at the surau.

Saiful Amir who was the 29th prosecution witness said the condition of the recording room with Norhaili in 2018 was comfortable with two chairs for the witness and the recording officer apart from denying that the witness was threatened and forced to give a statement.

"The room has no windows but with a mirror and has only one door. I recorded Norhaili's statement in the room according to the instruction of the MACC director-general then and he understood each question asked," he said during an examination-in-chief by Law.

Meanwhile, Norsharil told the court that he was alone when recording the conversation with Madhi in the room, and there were no threats or force to get the investment agent to give his answers as required.

Asked by Mohd Sophian whether Madhi was in fear and was worried during the conversation recording, Norsharil replied: None at all as the witness was allowed to pray and go out of the recording room.

On May 3 2019, Bung Moktar, 64, was charged with two counts of receiving bribes amounting to RM2.2 million and RM262,500, as gratification to give Felcra approval to make a RM150 million investment in Public Mutual unit trust.

Bung Moktar is accused of receiving bribes from Public Mutual investment agent Madhi Abdul Hamid via Zizie Izette at the Taman Melawati branch Public Bank here between 12.30 pm and 5 pm June 12 2015.

Bung Moktar is also charged with receiving a RM337,500 cash bribe from Norhaili under the name of Zizie Izette for the same reason and place on June 19, 2015 while Zizie Izette, 44, faces three charges of abetting her husband in the matter at the same place, date and time.

-- BERNAMA