SHAH ALAM, Nov 23 – National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) executive chairman Datuk Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail is among “more than three to four people” whose statements have been taken by the police as part of its probe into possible criminal breach of trust involving the RM250 million cattle venture.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar (picture) said Salleh’s statement was recorded by the Bukit Aman commercial crime department investigators yesterday.
Bernama Online quoted Ismail as saying the investigations were proceeding smoothly since the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) referred the case to the police, a few days ago.
“More than three to four people were called in to facilitate investigations. Mohamad Salleh came to the Commercial Crime Department yesterday to get his statement recorded.
“The police are probing the matter from all angles,” he told reporters after attending the opening of the new Selangor police contingent headquarters by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, near here today.
Saying he had heard many versions of the story, Ismail said the public should refrain from speculating on the case.
“Please do not speculate. We must be fair to all parties here as the case is still being investigated at an initial stage,” he said.
The NFC has been dogged by allegations of corruption and fund misappropriation after it made it into the pages of the Auditor-General’s Report for 2010, which described the project “as a mess”.
Among others, PKR has alleged that the NFC funds were used for federal minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil’s personal expenses and that of her family, as well as to buy multimillion-ringgit condominium units at the luxurious One Menerung in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
Shahrizat’s husband and NFC boss, Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail, finally emerged last week in the face of the attacks to break his family’s silence in the matter, and moved to defend the purchase of the condo as well as deny the alleged failure of the project.
PKR scoffed at Mohamad Salleh’s remarks, saying he had failed to deny a single allegation and had merely offered explanations for the many discrepancies involving the NFC.
Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar has denied the NFC was ever discussed in Cabinet, claiming it was handled by the Cabinet Committee for High-Impact Projects, which was then chaired by Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
PKR had alleged on Monday that the funds meant for the NFC were used to fund umrah packages and set up two Singapore-based companies, both owned by Senator Shahrizat’s family.
Party leaders claimed to have proof that Mohamad Salleh had ordered payment of RM31,580 to be made for his haj pilgrimage and that of his son Wan Shahinur Izran Mohamad Salleh in 2010.
PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, who is also Machang MP, had urged the police and the PAC to probe all transactions between the NFC and the National Meat and Livestocks Corporation (NMLC) and Real Food Company (RFC). Both NMLC and RFC are majority owned by Mohamad Salleh and his children Izran and Izmir.
He said this was because financial records showed that Singapore-based firms Global Biofuture Pte Ltd and Meatworks Singapore Pte Ltd, both of which are also owned by Shahrizat’s family, currently have debts with the RFC.
As at June 2010, he said, Global Biofuture, which ran a food and fuel business, owed RFC RM939,495.
In the same period, Meatworks, a luxury restaurant chain, was found to be owing RFC RM2,416,815, he added.
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