THE Kuala Lumpur High Court has acquitted and discharged Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin and wife Datin Seri Zizi Izzette following the granting of a revision application to drop all graft charges against them.
Bung, 65, was charged with two counts of receiving bribes amounting to RM2.2 mil and RM262,500 as gratification to obtain Felcra’s approval to make a RM150 mil investment in a Public Mutual unit trust.
The Sabah UMNO chief was accused of receiving the bribes from Madhi, a Public Mutual investment agent, through Zizie, at Public Bank’s Taman Melawati branch here between 12.30pm and 5pm on June 12, 2015.
He was also charged with receiving a bribe of RM337,500 from Norhaili, another Public Mutual investment agent, under Zizie’s name at the same location on June 19, 2015.
Zizie, 44, faced three charges of abetting her husband in the alleged offences.
In his verdict, Justice Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid said the sessions court judge had erred by asking the couple to enter their defence.
He said the lower court’s decision was a miscarriage of justice.
“After examining the records, this court finds that there was no evidence that P24 and P25 (prosecution witnesses Madhi Abdul Hamid and Norhaili Mokhtar) had given money to (Bung) through his wife (Zizie),” said Azhar.
Speaking to reporters outside the Kuala Lumpur court complex, a relieved Bung said there should not be any negative perception over his and his wife’s acquittal.
“I also don’t want others to comment on the acquittal without knowing the full facts of the case. We won the case on merit after five years,” he said.
He said the High Court judge had given his utmost commitment in adjudicating the case which had gone on for five years.
“There is no relation between my case and others. Just because (UMNO president) Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was freed, (it does not mean) I must be freed too.
“The judge has stated that I was acquitted and discharged due to the failure of the prosecution in proving wrongdoings, and two of (the prosecution’s) main witnesses had made (an about-turn).”
Bung Moktar further stressed that the public should not link his case with others.
On Monday (Aug 4), Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) on all 47 of his corruption, criminal breach of trust and money laundering charges.
Zahid had been accused of embezzling millions of ringgit from his foundation, Yayasan Akalbudi, and accepting bribes for various projects during his tenure as the home minister between 2013 and 2018. – Sept 7, 2023
Main pic credit: Bernama
