KUALA LUMPUR: Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin told the Sessions Court he had no knowledge that his wife, Zizie Izette Abdul Samad, received RM2.8mil from two unit trust agents in 2015.
The 66-year-old politician testified that his wife, a former actress, did not inform him about receiving the money.
"I was not informed of the matter by anyone until I was called to assist in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigation in 2016 or 2017," he said on Tuesday.
Bung Moktar was reading his witness statement on the first day of his defence trial in a graft case involving RM2.8mil.
He said he was not aware that Zizie received RM2.2mil from Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar and Madhi Abdul Hamid on June 12, 2015, at Public Bank Taman Melawati.
He then added that he was not aware of Zizie receiving RM262,500 from Madhi and RM337,500 from Norhaili, through investment accounts on June 17, 2015.
Bung Moktar denied directing or asking Zizie Izette to receive the RM2.8mil from Norhaili and Madhi on his behalf.
The court was also told that the Minister of Finance Inc (MOF Inc) had no objections to Felcra Bhd executing an investment in unit trusts for RM150mil.
Bung Moktar said he had no specific knowledge of any commission that Norhaili and Madhi would gain from Felcra's investment in Public Mutual unit trusts.
When questioned by defence counsel M. Athimulan on whether he had expedited the Finance Ministry's approval of Public Mutual Berhad's investment product, Bung Moktar denied doing so.
Athimulan: Have you ever directly or indirectly tried to speed up approval from MOF Inc for this unit trust investment project?
Bung Moktar: No, because I do not have the capacity to do so.
Athimulan: While you were Felcra chairman, did you ever discuss official Felcra work with your wife, Zizie?
Bung Moktar: Never.
Bung Moktar, who was then the non-executive chairman of Felcra, was charged on May 3, 2019, with two counts of accepting bribes of RM2.2mil and RM262,500 as inducement for Felcra's approval to invest RM150mil in Public Mutual unit trusts.
He was alleged to have accepted the bribes from Public Mutual Bhd’s investment agent Madhi Abdul Hamid through Zizie Izette at Public Bank Taman Melawati Branch between 12.30pm and 5pm on June 12, 2015.
Zizie Izette was charged with three counts of abetting her husband over the matter at the same place, date and time.
The trial before judge Rosli Ahmad resumes tomorrow.
