KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 — The High Court today told Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Mokhtar Radin and wife Datin Seri Zizie Izette Abdul Samad to enter their defence on charges of corruption and abetment after they failed in their bid to review the Sessions Court's decision.
Judicial Commissioner Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid allowed the prosecution's preliminary objection against the couple and dismissed the applications, Berita Harian reported today.
Deputy public prosecutor Law Chin How represented the prosecution while lawyer M. Athimulan appeared for Bung Moktar. Datuk K. Kumaraendran appeared for Datin Seri Zizie Izette Abdul Samad.
On November 11, Law argued that both the accused cannot present affidavits and notes of proceeding for a revision because in a criminal case, any records must come from the court and not from the couple by way of affidavits.
Meanwhile, the couple’s lawyer, Athimulan and Kumaraendran submitted their replies in rebuttal against the prosecution’s objection.
On September 2, 2022, the Sessions Court here ordered the couple to enter their defence on corruption charges involving RM2.8 million in connection with Public Mutual Berhad unit trust investments.
On May 3, 2019, Bung Moktar was charged with two charges of accepting bribes amounting to 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 charged with accepting bribes from a Public Mutual agent, Madhi Abdul Hamid, through Zizie Izette at Taman Melawati Public Bank Branch here between 12.30pm and 5pm on June 12, 2015.
Bung Moktar was also charged with accepting a cash bribe of RM337,500 from Unit Amanah consultant, Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar under the name of Zizie Izette for the same reason and at the same place on June 19, 2015.
As for Zizie Izette, she was charged with three counts of abetting with her husband in relation to the matter at the same place, date and time.
