KUALA LUMPUR: Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin has denied playing a role in negotiations for an introduction fee to be paid to his wife, Zizie Izette Abdul Samad, as incentive for securing a RM150mil unit trust investment from Felcra.
Bung Moktar, who was then the non-executive Felcra chairman, said he had “no business” in the dealings as it was strictly between Zizie and investment agent Norhaili Mokhtar.
The Sabah politician was being cross-examined yesterday by deputy public prosecutor Low Chin How in his corruption trial involving Felcra’s funds.
The DPP suggested that Norhaili had asked Zizie for the introduction fee to be reduced from RM3mil to RM2.8mil but Zizie told Norhaili to ask Bung Moktar instead.
Bung Moktar replied: Not true. That is a malicious assumption.
Low: Norhaili then asked you if she could pay RM2.8mil as she had other costs to cover.
Bung Moktar replied: That is not true.
Low: You agreed for the amount to be reduced to RM2.8mil and ordered Zizie to manage receipt of the money?
Bung Moktar replied: Not true.
Low also suggested that Norhaili and her colleague, Madhi Abdul Hamid, had received RM5.6mil in commissions from Public Mutual for securing the deal and that Bung Moktar took half the commissions on the pretext of an introduction fee.
At this point, defence lawyer Ridha Abdah Subri objected to the line of questioning.
He said the questions did not form part of the oral evidence tendered during the prosecution’s case, adding that defence would raise this point in submissions.
On May 3, 2019, Bung Moktar claimed trial to three charges of accepting bribes amounting to RM2.8mil to obtain approval for Felcra Bhd to invest RM150mil in Public Mutual unit trusts.
According to the first and second charges, he is accused of accepting bribes of RM2.2mil and RM262,500 in cash from Madhi, through Zizie, at Public Bank’s Taman Melawati branch here between 12.30pm and 5pm on June 12, 2015.
Bung Moktar is also accused of accepting a bribe of RM337,500 in cash from Norhaili, through Zizie. Zizie claimed trial to three charges of abetting her husband in the matter at the same place, date and time.
The trial before judge Rosli Ahmad resumes tomorrow.
