KUALA LUMPUR: The RM2.8 million corruption trial of Sabah deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin and his wife, Zizie Izette has been stayed.
The stay of proceedings was pending disposal of their application to review a lower court order requiring the duo to answer the charges brought against them.
Today, they were scheduled to enter their defence for accepting RM2.8 million through corrupt means, as ordered by Sessions Court Judge Rozina Ayob on Sept 2.
The duo then filed the application on the grounds to correct Rozina's order against them.
The application was filed earlier this week, through their lawyers M Athimulan and K Kumaraendran.
Zizie's application was heard today before High Court Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, where he had granted a stay of Sessions Court proceedings, pending the disposal of the application.
Bung Moktar's application meanwhile will be heard before Judicial Commissioner Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid on Monday (Sept 26).
Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah granted the order after deputy public prosecutor Faridz Gohim Abdullah said the prosecution would not object to the couple's bid to suspend their trial.
Bung Moktar, who is the Kinabatangan Member of Parliament was charged under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, while Zizie faces a charge under Section 28(1)(c).
The new development also saw Rozina set new dates for the husband and wife to enter their defence, once their application at the High Court is disposed of.
On May 3, 2019, Bung Moktar who is now the Sabah Umno chief pleaded not guilty to three charges of accepting bribes amounting to RM2.8 million to obtain approval for Felcrra Bhd to invest RM150 million in Public Mutual unit trust.
According to the first charge, Bung Moktar, who was then the non-executive chairman of Felcra, had accepted bribes of RM2.2 million in cash from Public Mutual's investment agent Madhi Abdul Hamid, through Zizie Izette.
He was accused of committing the offence at the Public Bank branch in Taman Melawati on June 12, 2015.
For the second charge, he was accused of accepting bribes of RM262,500 in cash from Madhi for a similar purpose.
Bung Moktar, 64, was also accused of accepting bribe of RM337,500 in cash from Public Mutual's investment agent Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar on June 19, 2015.
The later two offences were allegedly committed at the same location at 12.16pm and 12.28pm respectively on June 19, 2015.
Zizie, 44, pleaded not guilty to three charges of abetting her husband in the matter at the same place, date and time.