Cops to recommend charges against NFCorp directors

Police said today that they would recommend to the Attorney-General that several individuals, "especially the directors", in the National Feedlot Corporation(NFCorp) to be charged.

PETALING JAYA: Police would be recommending to the Attorney-General’s Chambers(AGC) to press charges against several individuals involved in the National Feedlot Centre(NFC) scandal.

“We are suggesting to the Chambers to press charges…especially against the directors of the company,” Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director, Syed Ismail Syed Azizan,told FMT today.

Syed Ismail said that his officers are now working around the clock to “speed up” and wrap up their probe before sending the investigation papers(IP) back to the AGC.

This is believed to the be second time the AGC had returned the police’s case files requesting more to be done. The first time the police submitted their completed probe was on Jan 17, when they had reportedly recorded 54 statements, including from staff of NFCorp.

While declining to give a specific timeline on when this will happen, Syed Ismail said that the case was at its ‘end stages’.

He said the IP was returned to his investigators several days ago by the AGC, as there were certain things to follow up on. “There were a few things to tighten up on to make our case strong. There are also a few more statements that need to be recorded further, especially from the directors.’’ he said.

Syed Ismail today also refuted speculations that police are attempting to quietly “close the case” without further actions. “No no no, no such thing,” he said.

Police are investigating the NFC case under Sections 420 and 409 of the Penal Code for cheating and criminal breach of trust respectively as well as several sections under the Companies Act.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is also investigating the NFC case and it is understood that the commission is also wrapping up the case as it had previously submitted its own IP to the AGC only to be returned for further evidence too.

The controversy over the cattle-breeding project, NFC, has been raging since October last year.

The 2010 Auditor-General’s Report revealed that the government had funded NFC but it had failed to meet its objectives.

The NFC is a project in Gemas, Negri Sembilan, aimed at boosting the production of beef to reduce beef imports. It is run by NFCorp.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil has been pulled into the controversy as her husband Mohamad Salleh heads the NFCorp and their three children are directors in the company.

Opposition parties, particularly PKR, then began a series of documented exposé linking Shahrizat to allegations of abusing a RM250-million government allocation meant for the project.

Allegations include that the RM250 million soft loan was used for non-cattle rearing related matters, such as financing purchases of luxury condominiums in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, plots of prime landin Putrajaya and a luxury car.

PKR has so far revealed questionable personal assets of Shahrizat’s family funded by NFCorp money to the tune of RM62.1million. Shahrizat, who was questioned by the MACC on Feb 8, has denied any wrongdoings despite calls even from within the government that she resign.