Bung’s widow cleared in RM2.8mil graft case after 7-year legal battle

 Sessions court rules the defence raised reasonable doubt in the prosecution's case.

Zizie Izette Abdul Samad (second from right) leaving the Kuala Lumpur sessions court after her acquittal today.

KUALA LUMPUR:

The sessions court here has acquitted actress Zizie Izette Abdul Samad of abetting her late husband, Bung Moktar Radin, in receiving RM2.8 million in bribes, bringing an end to a seven-year corruption case that drew widespread public attention.

Sessions court judge Rosli Ahmad held that the defence successfully raised a reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case and acquitted Zizie.

Zizie was charged under Section 28(1)(c) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 with abetting Bung, the former Kinabatangan MP, in the alleged corrupt payments.

The offence would have carried a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the value of the gratification, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Bung, the former Sabah Umno chief and non-executive chairman of Felcra Bhd, was charged in 2019 with three counts involving RM2.8 million allegedly received as an inducement to secure Felcra’s approval to invest RM150 million in Public Mutual unit trusts.

He was accused of accepting RM2.2 million and RM262,500 from investment agent Madhi Abdul Hamid through Zizie at Public Bank’s Taman Melawati branch on June 12 and June 19, 2015.

He also faced a third charge of corruptly obtaining RM337,500 from another investment agent, Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar, through a Public Ittikal Sequel Fund account registered in Zizie’s name for the same purpose.

Bung testified in his own defence in September last year. Following his death, the prosecution informed the court that it would not proceed with the charges, effectively discontinuing the case.

Bung and Zizie were charged in May 2019, with the trial beginning in January 2020.

The case stretched over seven years, taking several legal twists, including a High Court revision and a Court of Appeal ruling that reinstated the charges after Bung and Zizie were acquitted without being called to enter their defence.

The prosecution may still appeal today’s acquittal.

Deputy public prosecutors Law Chin How and Fadhly Zamry appeared for the prosecution while K Kumaraendran, M Athimulan, Teh See Koon and Ridha Abdah Subri represented Zizie. - FMT