KUALA LUMPUR: The defence proceeding involving Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin and his wife, Datin Seri Zizie Izette Abdul Samad, who are facing three corruption charges, has been postponed by the Sessions Court. The court had originally scheduled nine days, starting from July 10, for the couple to enter their defence.
Judge Rozina Ayob adjourned the hearing dates after deputy public prosecutor Low Chin How provided an update on the couple’s revision applications appeal at the Court of Appeal. The court then set September 13 for mention, pending further proceedings.
Low informed the court that the Court of Appeal had remitted back the couple’s revision applications to the High Court for the merits of the applications to be heard. These revision applications were filed by Moktar and his wife to challenge the Sessions Court’s decision last year that ordered them to enter their defence on the three corruption charges.
“Their applications had been dismissed by the High Court on December 9 last year, following a preliminary objection by the prosecution. The date of mention of the couple’s application is set for this Friday (July 14) before the same High Court Judge,” Low said.
In a recent development, the Court of Appeal, consisting of Justices Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail, Datuk Azman Abdullah, and Datuk Azmi Ariffin, ordered the couple’s revision applications to be returned to the High Court for a thorough consideration of the applications’ merits.
Justice Hadhariah, who chaired the bench, emphasized that it is the High Court’s responsibility to evaluate the merits of a revision application, regardless of how it was filed. She pointed out that the High Court failed to do so in Bung Mokhtar and Zizie Izette’s case when it dismissed their revision applications due to a technicality.
On December 9 last year, Judge Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid rejected the review applications without hearing their merits, following an objection by the prosecution claiming that the couple had employed the improper method to file the application.
On September 2, 2022, Judge Rozina ordered the couple to defend themselves against three charges of corruption after the prosecution successfully demonstrated a prima facie case.
The charges against Bung Moktar include accepting bribes of RM2.2 million and RM262,500 as an inducement to secure Felcra’s approval for a RM150 million investment in Public Mutual unit trusts. It is alleged that the bribes were received through his wife, Zizie Izette, at Public Bank Taman Melawati Branch between 12:30 pm and 5 pm on June 12, 2015.
Bung Moktar also stands accused of receiving RM337,500 in cash from Unit Amanah consultant Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar, under the name of Zizie Izette, for the same aforementioned purpose and location on June 19, 2015.
Meanwhile, Zizie Izette faces three charges of abetting her husband in connection with the same matter, at the same time and place. – Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
