Bung Moktar Radin today rejected the prosecution’s claim that he knowingly stood to gain from Felcra Bhd’s RM150 million unit trust investment, dismissing it as a “malicious assumption”.
The Kinabatangan MP insisted that he did not exploit his influence and position as Felcra’s non-executive chairman to ensure the investment was approved to allow himself or his wife to pocket an introduction fee of RM2.8 million.
Bung was testifying under cross-examination by deputy public prosecutor Fadly Zamry in a joint corruption trial involving himself and his wife, Zizie Izette Abdul Samad.
Fadly: Do you agree that all your actions were outside your scope of duties and were carried out without the written approval of the board?
Bung: I disagree.
Fadly: The actions you took were to safeguard your interests and that of your wife’s.
Bung: I disagree.
Fadly: All your actions clearly show that you knew and were aware that you would secure rewards (if the investment was approved).
Bung: Not true. That is a very malicious assumption.
Fadly: Do you agree if I say that you used your influence and position as Felcra’s non-executive chairman to ensure this matter went through so that the RM2.8 million would be received by you and your wife?
Bung: I disagree.
The Sabah Umno chief also refuted the prosecution’s allegation that the unit trust investment proposal circumvented due process by bypassing Felcra’s top management before being tabled before the board of directors.
“Felcra’s finance division was part of the top management.
“The board had the authority to decide on any proposal channelled through the management. That’s why it approved the investment after it was first discussed at the finance level,” he said.
The prosecution then pointed out that the minutes of a meeting held on Nov 11, 2014 did not record the board’s agreement to appointing Public Mutual Bhd as its fund manager.
Pressed by Fadly as to why Felcra’s letter to the Ministry of Finance Incorporated had named Public Mutual, Bung pointed to the testimony of then finance minister II Husni Hanadzlah.
“The minister himself said, in his testimony in court before, that he had approved several government agencies to invest with Public Mutual. So if Felcra had extra funds, we were told to write to the ministry for consideration,” he said.
The trial before judge Rosli Ahmad will continue on Sept 24.
Bung faces two charges of receiving bribes of RM2.2 million and RM262,500 as an inducement to obtain Felcra’s approval to invest RM150 million in Public Mutual unit trusts.
He is alleged to have accepted bribes from Madhi Hamid through Zizie at the Taman Melawati Public Bank branch between 12.30pm and 5pm on June 12, 2015.
He faces a separate charge of receiving RM337,500 from Norhaili Mokhtar under Zizie’s name at the same bank on June 19, 2015.
Zizie faces three charges of abetting Bung in the commission of the alleged offences.
