Prosecution files appeal against Bung Moktar, wife's acquittal

KUALA LUMPUR: The prosecution has filed an appeal against a High Court decision in acquitting and discharging Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin and his wife Datin Seri Zizie Izette Abdul Samad of corruption charges amounting to RM2.8 million involving a RM150 million investment in Public Mutual Berhad unit trust.

Zizie Izette's lawyer Teh See Khoon when contacted, confirmed that a notice of appeal was filed by the prosecution last Friday (Sept 15).

"Yes, we were informed that the prosecution filed the notice of appeal on Friday (Sept 15)," he said.

On Sept 7, Judge Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid acquitted and discharged the couple after allowing their applications for a revision against the Sessions Court's decision in ordering them to enter their defence on the corruption charges.

Judge Azhar ruled that it was a fit and proper case to exercise revisionary power under Section 323 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).

The Sessions Court, on Sept 2 last year, ordered Bung Mokhtar and Zizie Izette to enter their defence on all three corruption charges. This prompted them to file revision applications in the High Court against the Sessions Court's ruling.

However, the High Court struck out their applications without hearing the merits of the applications after allowing the prosecution preliminary objections against the applications.

The couple subsequently filed the appeal to the Court of Appeal and on July 7, 2023, they won the appeal and the court remitted back the revision applications to the High Court for the merits of the applications to be heard.

On May 3, 2019, Bung Moktar who was then the non-executive chairman of Felcra, was charged with two charges of accepting bribes of RM2.2 million and RM262,500 as an inducement to obtain Felcra approval to invest RM150 million in Public Mutual unit trusts.

He is alleged to have accepted the bribes from Public Mutual Berhad's investment agent Madhi Abdul Hamid through Zizie Izette at Public Bank Taman Melawati Branch here between 12.30 pm and 5 pm on June 12, 2015.

Bung Moktar was also charged with receiving RM337,500 in cash from Unit Amanah consultant, Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar, under the name of Zizie Izette for the same reason and place on June 19, 2015, while Zizie Izette is facing three charges of abetting her husband over the matter at the same place, date and time.

-- BERNAMA