Datin Seri Zizie Izette Abdul Samad faces three charges of abetting her late husband, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, in receiving RM2.8 million in bribes tied to Felcra Berhad's RM150 million investment in Public Mutual Berhad unit trust products. The alleged bribes, paid via investment fund accounts registered under Zizie Izette’s name, include RM2.2 million and RM262,500 from investment agent Madhi Abdul Hamid, and RM337,500 from agent Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar. These payments occurred on June 12 and June 19, 2015, at the Public Bank branch in Taman Melawati [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The charges fall under Section 17(a) and Section 28(1)(c) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act. Conviction carries a maximum 20-year jail term and fines not less than five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher [1, 2, 3].
Bung Moktar Radin, former non-executive chairman of Felcra and Zizie Izette’s husband, was previously charged with accepting bribes. After his sudden death in December 2025, the prosecution discontinued his case and he was acquitted posthumously in January 2026 [6, 2, 3, 4].
Zizie Izette’s defence argues the RM2.8 million was a voluntary referral fee paid by the Public Mutual agents, not a bribe. Defence counsel M Athimulan said, "All evidence before this court showed that the RM2.8 million paid to the accused was merely a referral fee voluntarily given by the two unit trust agents. In this case, there is no evidence showing the referral fee constituted a bribe." He added, "[As the court] has made no finding of guilt regarding the commission of a principal offence, in absence of a positive finding of a principal offence, the charge of abetment against [Zizie] cannot stand." [6, 7]
The prosecution contends the RM2.8 million was a form of gratification to secure Felcra’s approval of the investment. Deputy Public Prosecutor Law Chin How said, "The court can still and should take Bung’s testimony in arriving at its decision, as it is crucial evidence to show the element of abetment." He added, "The accused never denied receiving the RM2.8 million. She should have rejected the money, especially since her late husband was at all material times." [6, 7]
A key dispute is whether Bung Moktar’s testimony can be used after his acquittal and death. Defence argues no principal offence remains, so abetment charges against Zizie cannot stand. The prosecution maintains Bung’s testimony remains crucial to establish her involvement [6].
The defence case closed on March 5, 2026, after calling two witnesses: Zizie Izette herself and Bung Moktar, who testified before his death [6, 8, 7, 9, 4, 5]. Judge Rosli Ahmad fixed July 20, 2026, for the verdict and ordered the parties to file additional written submissions by July 9. He said, "The court sets July 20 for the decision. The parties must file any additional written submissions on or before June 9." [4]
The verdict will conclude a nearly seven-year-old corruption case centered on an alleged RM2.8 million bribe linked to Felcra's RM150 million investment in unit trust products.
