KUALA LUMPUR: A witness today told the Sessions Court that a letter for the transfer of a RM150 million investment by Felcra Bhd in Public Mutual unit trust was signed by the organisation's then general manager (finance) and a board member.
Former Felcra investment unit finance manager Esah Abas said the two who had signed the letter for the issuance of five vouchers for the payment were Azmy Abu Samah and Datuk Abdul Fattah Abdullah.
She was testifying in the corruption trial of Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, who was then Felcra non-executive chairman, and his celebrity wife Datin Seri Zizie Izette A Samad.
According to the 62-year-old witness, she had prepared vouchers totalling RM150 million upon instruction from her boss, Azriman Ridouan, who was Felcra's credit control senior manager, for the money transfer from Felcra's current account on May 18, 2015.
"I received instructions from Azriman to prepare the payment vouchers for investment purposes to Public Mutual based on the letter," she said.
Meanwhile, during cross-examination by lawyer Datuk K. Kumaraendran, the 10th prosecution witness said Fattah was fully aware of the purpose of the money transfer as he was the one who had signed it (money transfer).
Esah also testified that without the letter signed by Azmy and Fattah, she would not have prepared the vouchers.
Asked by the couple's other lawyer Ahmad Adha Yasser whether the unit trust investment made by Felcra was against financial procedures or law, the witness answered in the negative.
"It was not against the law, "she said.
The trial before judge Rozina Ayob continues.
On May 3, 2019, Bung was charged with taking a bribe of RM2.2 million from Public Mutual investment agent Madhi Abdul Hamid, 38, through Zizie as an inducement to obtain approval from the then finance minister II for Felcra to invest RM150 million in Public Mutual unit trust products.
He was also charged with receiving RM262,500 in bribes for himself from the same individual through a Public Islamic Treasures Growth Fund account registered under Zizie Ezette's name for the same purpose.
On another charge, Bung was accused of obtaining a RM337,500 bribe from Public Mutual investment agent Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar, 42, via a Public Ittikal Sequel Fund account registered under Zizie's name for the same purpose.
The Sabah Deputy Chief Minister had in his capacity as the Felcra non-executive chairman at that time allegedly committed the offences in June 2015.
All the charges were framed under Subsection 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act and which provides for a jail term not exceeding 20 years and a fine not less than five times of the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Meanwhile, Zizie was charged with abetting him.
Deputy public prosecutors Datuk Faridz Gohim Abdullah, Mohd Sophian Zakaria, Siti Noor Hafizan Zakaria and Maziah Mohaide appeared for the prosecution. - NST
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