KUALA LUMPUR: The corruption trial of Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin and his celebrity wife Datin Seri Zizie Izette A Samad will resume on July 26 due to the ongoing Movement Control Order (MCO).
Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Sophian Zakaria said the prosecution received the new date set by the Sessions Court via e-mail recently.
The court has fixed five days between July 26 and July 30 for continuation of the trial, during which former Treasury deputy secretary-general for investments Datuk Seri Dr Mohmad Isa Hussain will resume his testimony.
The trial was slated to resume for three days since yesterday (Wednesday) before Judge Rozina Ayob but was vacated due to the implementation of the MCO.
On May 3, 2019, Bung Moktar was charged with taking a bribe of RM2.2 million from Public Mutual investment agent Madhi Abdul Hamid, 38, through Zizie Izette 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 Izette’s name for the same purpose.
On another charge, Bung Moktar 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 Izette’s name for the same purpose.
The Kinabatangan member of parliament 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.
The offence carries a maximum 20 years’ jail and a fine not less than five times of the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Meanwhile, Zizie Izette was charged with abetting him.-NST