NATIONAL Feedlot Corporation (NFC) will be calling four witnesses in the Malaysian government’s suit to recover RM254 million in loan payments and interest in connection with the National Feedlot Centre in Gemas, Negri Sembilan from the company.

Lawyer Chong Kah Yee, representing NFC, said one of the defendant’s witnesses, auditor Andrew Heng, had completed his testimony before Judicial Commissioner Anand Ponnudurai on March 17.

“During the online case management proceedings (e-Review) today, the court set January 24-28 next year to resume the trial and we will present four more witnesses to testify,” he said.

Meanwhile, senior federal counsel Azizan Md Arshad said the trial had commenced on January 13 last year and the plaintiffs had closed their case on March 17, after calling seven witnesses to testify.

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

The government is suing NFC, Mohamad Salleh Ismail, Wan Shahinur Izran, Wan Shahinur Izmir and Wan Izzana Fatimah Zabedah for the recovery of the loan.

Other defendants named include six companies controlled by Salleh’s family: National Meat & Livestock Corporation, Real Food Corporation, Meatworks Corporation, Agroscience Industries, Asian Bioscience Corporation and Techknowlogy Imageware (M).

The government signed a loan agreement of RM250 million with NFC on December 6, 2007, to finance the costs of establishing and operating a National Feedlot Centre in Gemas as part of its policy to develop and increase beef production.

The loan was disbursed in three separate tranches and Salleh’s family made 10 withdrawals totalling RM181 million from January 24, 2008, to January 3, 2011. – Bernama, June 21, 2021.