KUALA LUMPUR: Former actress Datin Seri Zizie Izette Abdul Samad has been acquitted by the Sessions Court here of three charges of abetting her late husband Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin involving a RM2.8mil bribery linked to a RM150mil unit trust investment.
Sessions Court judge Rosli Ahmad, in his brief decision, said the accused had proven a reasonable doubt in the case.
"Since the charges against the principal offender were withdrawn because of his passing, the charges against the accused could not stand in this case.
"The prosecution has failed to establish an essential ingredient of the charges. I also find that the accused had no knowledge of the investment.
"There is a discrepancy between the findings of the Sessions Court and the High Court, which had set aside the prima facie ruling. I find there was no criminal intent or conspiracy between the accused and her late husband," he said here on Monday (July 20).
On the issue of RM2.8mil being an introductory fee and not a bribe, Rosli said the issue had been argued extensively before the Sessions Court.
"I feel this is an issue that can be brought before the appellate court. I do not wish to deal with it in this judgment. This entire issue may be raised on appeal," he said.
Rosli then ordered for Zizie Izette to be discharged and acquitted from all three charges.
"The bail is returned and its additional conditions revoked," he added.
The 48-year-old was visibly emotional as the decision was delivered.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Fadhly Mohd Zamry told the press that the prosecution would wait for instructions from the Attorney General's Chambers on whether to appeal the decision.
On Sept 2, 2022, the Sessions Court found that the prosecution had established a prima facie case and ordered Bung Moktar and Zizie Izette to enter their defence. They filed a revision application against the decision and won at the High Court on Sept 7, 2023.
The prosecution appealed the decision at the Court of Appeal.
However, on Nov 18, 2024, the Court of Appeal allowed the prosecution's appeal against the Sept 7 High Court's decision in acquitting the couple and ordered them to enter their defence.
Bung Moktar testified on Sept 2, 2025. He died the same year on Dec 5 from complications of a severe lung infection and kidney failure. Following his death, the Sessions Court acquitted Bung Moktar of all three charges on Jan 16 after the prosecution decided not to proceed with the case, leaving Zizie Izette to stand trial on her own.
The defence closed its case after Zizie Izette completed her testimony on March 5.
Under the first charge, Zizie Izette is accused of abetting Bung Moktar, who was then the non-executive chairman of Felcra Berhad, in obtaining a RM2.2mil cash bribe from Public Mutual Berhad investment agent Madhi Abdul Hamid. The alleged bribe was an inducement for Bung Moktar to secure the approval of the then Finance Minister II for Felcra Berhad to invest RM150mil in Public Mutual Berhad unit trust products.
Under the second charge, she is accused of abetting Bung Moktar in obtaining RM262,500 from Madhi through a Public Islamic Treasures Growth Fund (PITGF) account registered in her name for the same purpose.
She also faces a third charge of abetting her husband in obtaining RM337,500 from another Public Mutual Berhad investment agent, Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar, through a Public Ittikal Sequel Fund (PITSEQ) account registered in her name, also in connection with the same investment.
The offences were allegedly committed at the Public Bank Berhad Taman Melawati branch on June 12 and June 19, 2015.
The charges are framed under Section 28(1)(c) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which provides for a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
