THE Kuala Lumpur High Court has acquitted and discharged Kinabatangan lawmaker Bung Moktar Radin and his wife Zizie Izette Abdul Samad from three graft charges amounting to RM2.8 million, following the granting of a revision application to drop all charges against them.

Justice Azhar Abdul Hamid acquitted and discharged the couple after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence.

Azhar, in his verdict, 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),” he said.

The judge exercised his powers of revision under section 325 of the criminal procedure code to acquit and discharge the couple.

Bung, 65, who is Sabah Umno chief, was charged with two counts of receiving bribes amounting to RM2.2 million and RM262,500 as gratification to obtain Felcra’s approval to make a RM150 million investment in Public Mutual’s unit trust.

The Umno Supreme Council member was accused of receiving the bribes from Madhi, a Public Mutual investment agent, through Zizie, at Public Bank’s Taman Melawati branch in Kuala Lumpur 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. – September 7, 2023.