Lawyer down with Covid, Bung Moktar, wife trial postponed

 

A member of Bung Moktar Radin’s legal team recently tested positive for Covid-19, with other lawyers having close contact with the legal practitioner.

As a result, today’s initially scheduled Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court corruption trial of the Kinabatangan MP and his wife Zizie Izette A Samad has been postponed.

The couple’s counsel K Kumaraendran today confirmed that due to circumstances related to Covid-19 that befell the defence team, the lower court has postponed today’s trial.

“The court is set to fix further trial dates during mention of the case this morning,” the lawyer said when contacted. The trial judge is Rozina Ayob.

Bung, who is also Sabah Deputy Chief Minister, is on trial on three charges, with one charge accusing him of taking an RM2.2 million bribe from Public Mutual investment agent Madhi Abdul Hamid through Zizie.

The Sabah Umno chief was alleged to have committed the offence as an inducement to obtain the approval of finance minister II for Felcra to invest RM150 million in the Public Mutual unit trust.

Bung is purported to have committed the offence at Public Bank’s Taman Melawati branch at Jalan Bandar 12, Taman Melawati, Kuala Lumpur, between 12.30pm and 5pm on June 12, 2015.

In relation to the second charge, Bung is accused of receiving RM262,500 in bribes from Madhi, through Public Islamic Treasures Growth Fund account number 044797816 registered under Zizie’s name.

Bung is also facing a third charge of obtaining an RM337,500 bribe from Public Mutual investment agent Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar via Public Ittikal Sequel Fund account number 044797824, also registered under Zizie’s name.

Both offences were allegedly perpetrated at the same location at 12.16pm and 12.28pm on June 19, 2015.

The three charges are framed under Sub-section 17(a) of the MACC Act and Section 24(1) of the Act, which specifies penalties of a jail term of up to 20 years, and a fine of at least five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Zizie is also on trial over three counts of abetting Bung in committing the offences. - Mkini