THE defence trial of Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin and his wife Zizie Izette Abdul Samad has been fixed for mention in the Sessions Court on March 27 following an ongoing appeal.

The couple filed an appeal against a High Court’s dismissal of their bids to review a Sessions Court decision, which ordered the couple to defend themselves on three charges.

Lawyer M. Athimulan, representing Bung Moktar, informed Sessions Court judge Rozina Ayob that case management of the appeal in the Court of Appeal has been set for March 22.

“As such, we have requested that the court set a mention date for the parties to inform the court about the development of the case at the Court of Appeal. We also requested that the presence of both clients be excluded at the next mention of the case,” said the lawyer.

Deputy public prosecutor Law Chin How confirmed the matter and did not object to the defence’s application for the exclusion of Bung Moktar and Zizie Izette at the next mention.

Rozina then set March 27 for mention for the parties involved to inform the Sessions Court about the development of the case at the Court of Appeal, and approved the defence’s request that Bung and Zizie be excluded from the mention.

Bung Moktar, 63, who was in a wheelchair due to a fractured leg, appeared in court with Zizie Izette, 44.

On January 3, High Court judge Azhar Abdul Hamid allowed the stay of Bung and his wife’s defence proceedings pending the disposal of the couple’s appeal at the Court of Appeal.

On September 2 last year, the Sessions Court ordered the couple to enter their defence on three charges of corruption after the prosecution had established a prima facie case against them.

On May 3, 2019, Bung Moktar was charged with two charges of accepting bribes amounting to RM2.2 million and receiving RM262,500 as an inducement to obtain Felcra’s approval to invest RM150 million in Public Mutual Bhd unit trusts. 

He was charged with accepting bribes from Public Mutual agent Madhi Abdul Hamid through Zizie Izette at Public Bank’s Taman Melawati branch between 12.30pm and 5pm on June 12, 2015. 

He was also charged with accepting a cash bribe of RM337,500 from Unit Amanah consultant Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar under Zizie Izette’s name for the same reason and at the same place on June 19, 2015, while Zizie Izette is charged with three counts of abetting with her husband in relation to the matter at the same place, date and time. – Bernama, January 27, 2023.