THE trial of the government’s suit against National Feedlot Corporation (NFC), which was due to take place at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur this week, has been postponed as senior federal counsel Azizan Md Arshad is in quarantine at home.

In the suit, the government is demanding NFC, as one of the defendants, repay RM254 million in loans and interest for a national feedlot centre in Gemas, Negri Sembilan.

Laywer K. Kirubakaran, representing the defendants, said the plaintiff had applied for the trial to be postponed as Azizan had to undergo 14-day quarantine following his return from Sabah after attending a case at Kota Kinabalu Court.

“Judicial Commissioner Anand Ponnudurai allowed the application and set November 4 to 6, and February 22 to 26, 2021, for the hearing to continue,” he said when met by reporters today.

Also present was federal counsel Mohd Ashraf Abd Hamid, acting on behalf of the government.

Kirubakaran said the defence would call five witnesses to testify.

The trial began on January 13 with five plaintiff witnesses giving evidence, while the last witness, an auditor of a private company, has yet to be called to testify.

NFC is managed by the husband and three children of former women, family and community development minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

In its claim, the government as the sole plaintiff, named the NFC as the first defendant, while Shahrizat’s husband, Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail, and their three children, Wan Shahinur Izran, Wan Shahinur Izmir and Wan Izzana Fatimah Zabedah, are the second to fifth defendants, respectively.

Other defendants are six companies controlled by Mohamad Salleh’s family, comprising National Meat & Livestock Corporation Sdn Bhd, Real Food Corporation Sdn Bhd, Meatworks Corporation Sdn Bhd, Agroscience Industries Sdn Bhd, Asian Bioscience Corporation Sdn Bhd, and Techknowlogy Imageware (M) Sdn Bhd.

The government entered into an agreement with NFC on December 6, 2007, for a RM250 million loan, a portion of which was used to fund the National Feedlot Centre, in line with the government’s policy to develop and advance beef production and beef products.

The loan was disbursed by the government to NFC in three tranches.

Mohamad Salleh’s family made 10 withdrawals totalling RM181 million from January 24, 2008, to January 3, 2011.

Of the RM181 million withdrawn, only RM8.32 million was paid directly to third parties to conduct the project.

The balance of the withdrawn funds was transferred to other NFC accounts, with the government alleging RM118 million from this balance misused by the defendants.

This accusation includes RM9.76 million to purchase one of two units at One Menerung Residence by the sixth defendant, the National Meat & Livestock Corp.

At the same time, the government alleges more than RM2 million was paid to Shamsubarin Ismail for undisclosed purposes.

The family are also accused of using the loan to settle monthly rental amounting to RM28,000 for an office lot at Solaris Mont Kiara.

Other alleged expenditure made with the loaned money included the purchase of two plots of land in Putrajaya, payment to two legal firms and the purchase of a four-storey shop house in Solaris Mont Kiara. – Bernama, October 5, 2020.