Court sets May 22 to hear Bung, wife's review bid on graft case

 

The Court of Appeal has fixed May 22 to hear Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin and his wife Zizie Izette Abdul Samad’s application to obtain leave to review a ruling requiring them to enter their defence on three corruption charges involving RM2.8 million.

The date was set during a case management session before deputy registrar Nurul Nadia Azman today, who also fixed a final case management on May 8.

Deputy public prosecutor Law Chin How confirmed the hearing date when contacted by Bernama.

Bung and Zizie filed the application last month under Rule 105 of the Rules of the Court of Appeal 1994, contending that the previous Court of Appeal panel lacked jurisdiction to hear the prosecution’s appeal and wanted the review panel to reinstate the High Court ruling.

On Nov 18 last year, the Court of Appeal panel led by Justice Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim allowed the prosecution’s appeal and overturned the High Court’s decision that previously acquitted them, ordering both to enter their defence.

In September 2022, the Sessions Court ordered the couple to enter their defence. The couple succeeded in overturning the ruling through revision applications they filed at the High Court. This prompted the prosecution to appeal to the Court of Appeal.

Bung, 65, who was then the non-executive chairperson of Felcra Berhad, was charged on May 3, 2019, 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 was alleged to have accepted the bribes from Public Mutual Berhad’s investment agent Madhi Abdul Hamid through Zizie Izette, 46, at the Public Bank Taman Melawati branch between 12.30pm and 5pm on June 12, 2015.

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

On Wednesday (April 9), the Sessions Court allowed the couple’s application to stay the defence proceeding pending the outcome of the review application.

- Bernama