Bung, wife claim trial to three charges for graft totalling RM2.8m

BN Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin has claimed trial to three corruption charges totalling RM2.8 million.

He was charged at Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for receiving the money in his capacity as Felcra non-executive chairperson in June 2015.

Sessions Court judge Rozina Ayob set bail at RM100,000 and one surety. Bung has to surrender his passport to the court. The case was fixed for mention on June 10.

Bung was slapped with three charges under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009. He faces a maximum jail sentence of 20 years if found guilty.

He was charged with receiving RM2.2 million in cash from Madhi Abdul Hamid, an investment agent of Public Mutual Berhad as payment to obtain the approval from the then second finance minister for Felcra to invest RM150 million in the mutual fund. The offence was allegedly committed on June 12, 2015.

In his second charge, he was accused of receiving graft totalling RM262,500 via a fund account registered under his wife Zizie Izette A Samad from the same agent, in order to secure approval from the then second finance minister for Felcra to invest RM150 million in the mutual fund, which is the country's largest private unit trust company.

The offence was allegedly committed a week after the first offence.

In the third charge sheet, he was accused of receiving graft totalling RM337,500 on June 15, 2015 via a fund account registered under his wife from Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar, an investment agent of Public Mutual Berhad.

Meanwhile, Zizie was charged in another Session Court.

Due to her role in the above three graft offences, Zizie was slapped with three charges under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act, which was read together with Section 28(1)(c) of the same Act for abetting and conspiring with her husband to solicit the money.

She pleaded not guilty to all three charges.

Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi set bail for Zizie at RM100,000, with one surety. She also ordered Zizie to surrender her passport. 

The court also fixed June 10 as the mention date. 

Zizie faces a maximum jail sentence of 20 years if found guilty.

Bung and his wife were represented by senior counsel K Kumaraendran, while the prosecution team comprised MACC's prosecution head Umar Saifuddin Jaafar and deputy public prosecutor Allan Suman Pillai.

Bung was arrested on May 1 in Kota Kinabalu, while his wife was arrested in Putrajaya on the same day.

He had resigned as Felcra chairperson in May 2018 after BN's defeat in the 14th general election. 

Bung, wife arrested for alleged graft, abetment - MACC

How Felcra ended up committing RM687m for a free office

Did Bung dupe Felcra into making RM150m investment?

In shadow of RM687m tower, Felcra members earn below RM1k a month