Bung Moktar and wife arrested

PUTRAJAYA: Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, who is facing three graft charges tomorrow involving almost RM3mil, has questioned the timing of his arrest with the Sandakan by-election taking place.

“Maybe it is just a coincidence. Let the rakyat in Sandakan consider the situation,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Bung Moktar, who is Sabah Umno chief, is leading the Barisan Nasional campaign to support PBS in the May 11 polls.

His wife, actress Zizie Izette A Samad, 40, will also be in court to face a charge of abetting her husband.

They are expected to appear at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court in Jalan Duta.

Sources said the graft case in question was during Bung Moktar’s tenure as Felcra chairman.

“It involves certain investments made by Felcra when he was heading the agency,” a source told The Star.

He was Felcra chairman for several years but quit last year when Pakatan Harapan took over the government.

Last night, Bung Moktar was on Twitter, replying to messages sent to him.

“InshaaAllah,” he answered, when someone posted that the truth would be known eventually.

“Our journey in life is decided by God. No one is exempted. The truth will emerge,” he wrote.

In another posting, he said: “Let the court do its job.”

When someone asked him not to switch parties, he said: “Inshaa­Allah,” meaning “God willing”.

Earlier yesterday, Bung Moktar and Zizie Izette were held for several hours by graft investigators at the Sabah Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission office.

They were summoned there to give their statement.

Bung Moktar was arrested at 10.50am while Zizie Izette was held at 11.15am.

They were released several hours later after their statements were recorded.

Bung Moktar is Barisan’s sole representative from Sabah in the Dewan Rakyat after several MPs ditched the coalition to either join other parties or form a new grouping.