Bung Moktar Denies Being Asked By Agent To Reduce Introduction Fee To RM2.8 Million

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 (Bernama) -- Kinabatangan Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin today denied that an investment agent of Public Mutual Berhad had ever asked for the RM3 million introduction fee to be reduced to RM2.8 million.

Testifying as the first defence witness in his ongoing corruption trial, Bung Moktar, 65, dismissed the claim when asked by deputy public prosecutor Law Chin How at the Sessions Court here.

Law had asked whether Bung Moktar agreed that investment agent Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar had requested his wife, Datin Seri Zizie Izette Abdul Samad, 46, to reduce the amount, and that Zizie Izette then told Norhaili to speak directly to him.

“I disagree. That’s not true. That’s a malicious assumption,” Bung Moktar responded.

Law then suggested that Norhaili had informed Bung Moktar she needed to cover other expenses and could only provide RM2.8 million - a claim Bung Moktar again firmly denied.

The Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) Chairman also disagreed with the prosecution’s suggestion that he had instructed his wife to handle the money.

However, he did agree that the money received by Zizie Izette was an introduction fee, in line with Public Mutual’s procedures.

Still, Bung Moktar rejected the assertion that Zizie Izette received the RM2.8 million due to his then-position as chairman of Felcra Berhad.

When asked whether he agreed with claims that Zizie Izette had been surprised to receive the RM2.8 million from Norhaili and another investment agent, Madhi Abdul Hamid, Bung Moktar said he was not sure.

When questioned whether the RM2.8 million could be considered a “windfall,” Bung Moktar simply said, “I don’t know... whether it was a windfall or not.”

On May 3, 2019, Bung Moktar was charged with two counts of accepting bribes totalling RM2.2 million and another RM262,500 as an inducement to approve Felcra’s RM150 million investment in Public Mutual unit trusts.

He allegedly received the bribes from Madhi through Zizie Izette at Public Bank’s Taman Melawati branch between 12.30 pm and 5 pm on June 12, 2015.

He is also accused of accepting another RM337,500 from Norhaili via a Public Ittikal Sequel Fund (PITSEQ) account registered under Zizie Izette’s name for the same purpose.

The charges fall under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Zizie Izette faces three charges of abetting her husband under Section 28(1)(c) of the same Act, which carries similar penalties.

The trial before Judge Rosli Ahmad continues on Sept 26.

-- BERNAMA