KUALA LUMPUR: The late Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, who passed away last month, was acquitted by the Sessions Court here of three graft charges involving RM2.8mil linked to a Felcra investment.
Judge Rosli Ahmad ordered the acquittal after being informed that the prosecution did not intend to proceed with the case against Bung Moktar, who died due to kidney failure and lung infection on Dec 5 last year.
“The court has decided to acquit the first accused of all charges, and the bail and passport are to be returned to the surety,” Rosli said during the case mention yesterday.
However, the trial against Bung Moktar’s widow, Zizie Izette A. Samad, for abetting her husband in connection with the same offences will proceed in March.
Deputy public prosecutor Law Chin How told the court that the Attorney General’s Chambers had rejected Zizie’s request to drop the charges.
Her lawyer, Teh See Khoon, asked the court to fix new trial dates for the defence hearing on March 5, 6 and 12.
The court subsequently set the dates as requested.
Bung Moktar, 65, who was Felcra Bhd’s non-executive chairman at the time, was originally charged on May 3, 2019 with two counts of accepting bribes of RM2.2mil and RM262,500 to obtain Felcra’s approval for a RM150mil investment in Public Mutual unit trusts.
He was alleged to have accepted the bribes from Public Mutual Bhd investment agent Madhi Abdul Hamid through Zizie, 47, at Public Bank Taman Melawati Branch in Kuala Lumpur between 12.30pm and 5pm on June 12, 2015.
Bung Moktar was also charged with receiving RM337,500 in cash from Unit Amanah consultant Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar, in Zizie’s name, at the same location on June 19, 2015, for the same purpose.
Meanwhile, Zizie faces three counts of abetting her husband in connection with the matter, at the same location, date, and time.
Zizie was absent from yesterday’s proceedings and was represented by her lawyer.
