NFC chief charged: A victory for the people and PKR but will Umno acquit him after GE-13

At last, Salleh Ismail, the NFC chairman and husband of Umno minister Shahrizat Jalil was charged in the Sessions Court with criminal breach of trust and violating the Companies Act in relation to RM49 million in federal funds given to the National Feedlot Corporation.

However, PKR leaders expressed concern that the case might turn out to be like other high-profile cases in the past that came to nought including those involving former minister Kasitah Gaddam and even ex-Selangor Mentri Besar Khir Toyo.

"Firstly, this is a victory to the people and a tribute to PKR leaders like Rafizi Ramli and Zuraida Kamaruddin, who courageously exposed one crooked deal after another even after Shahrizat slapped on a RM100 defamation suit on them," PKR vice president Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

"But because of the past cases, like Perwaja Steel where Eric Chia and even in the Lingam judge-fixing case where they eventually got off lightly, we are of course cautious in our response. Kasitah's sentence was overturned and does anyone think Khir Toyo has been sufficiently punished? Also, do Malaysians think the courts are places where justice can be meted out after the controversial decisions on theTeoh Beng Hock and Ahmad Sarbaini deathfalls, where the MACC was cleared although the evidence was overwhelming against it?"

After GE-13, Umno may let Salleh off the hook

According to Tian, until the full charges are laid out and Malaysians can see to what extent Salleh will be prosecuted, it was premature to celebrate. He slammed Najib for stage-managing the prosecution to win votes ahead of the 13th general election expected to be held in May or June and to deflect attention from his corruption scandals.

"In fact, we really need to worry even more than before because the case will go to trial only after GE-13 is held. Once that is over, if the Pakatn Rakyat wins, we assure voters we will subject Salleh to the full scrutiny of the law. But for Umno-BN, they may just let Salleh off the hook with a very light sentence. Make no mistake, there is more than meets the eye here, and a deal would surely have been struck in typical Umno style," said Tian.

Meanwhile, Salleh pleaded not guilty to the CBT charge as well two counts under the Companies Act. His wife and one of their children, Izmir, were also in court. Their three children are also directors of NFC, and may also face charges later on although these are unlikely to be major, said pundits.

Shocking and strange for Umno to allow Shahrizat to hold onto Wanita post

Indeed, the NFC sacndal has shocked the country for the past months, dealing a heavy blow to the ruling coalition's image as a credible corruption-fighter. But as Tian pointed, it is too soon to tell how serious and how far Umno will allow Salleh to be prosecuted.

Already now, speculation is buzzing that at worst, he will be fined but spared any jail sentence. Most crucial of all, as Umno drums up the drama in a bid to show that it was serious about fighting corruption is the concern that the Shahrizats will be allowed to get away with the public money they splurged on luxury condominiums and other assets not related to cattle rearing.

Shahrizat had a day ago announced she would 'quit' on April 6, a date on which her Senatorship would already expire. She also said she would hold on to her Wanita chief post. The media applause given to her for her decision, which Najib said was a sacrifice on her part, and from her supporters in Women's wing was a dead give-away that this was another of Umno's scripted getaway escapades for its corrupt leaders.

"We are also shocked that Shahrizat Jalil will hold on to her position as Wanita Umno Chief. This proves that UMNO does not have the will, inclination or moral authority to take action against leaders guilty of wrongdoing. Is it because so many of the current Umno leaders are themselves tainted?" said PKR vice president N Surendran.

Sacrificing Shahrizat to save himself from the glare of the Kazakh connection

It is believed that this drastic step - for the Shahrizats that is - became unavoidable after Najib's links in the NFC's Kazakhstan business were exposed last week. Already in the doghouse for abusing power and passing on personal bills to the people over his daughter's engagement party both in Putrajaya and Kazakhstan, Najib is sacrificing Shahrizat to save himself by focusing the public's eye on her husband's trial.

Najib's daughter had married the nephew of a powerful Kazakh leader, and Najib had sanction a memorandum of understanding between NFC and a Kazakh party although NFC - being a national cattle breeding project - does not allow the firm to invest overseas. Police sources told a news portal last week that they were probing a RM1.7million luxury apartment bought by the NFC in the southern Kazakh city of Almaty.

"We think the doors are sure to be shut on the Kazakh link. But whatever we can dig up, we will expose to the public, that is for sure. We will continue to press on," Rafizi Ramli, the PKR strategy director, responsible for most of the NFC revelations, told Malaysia Chornicle.

PKR leaders and NGO Jingga 13 had earlier lodged a report against Najib for passing on a RM410,000 bill incurred for his daughter's engagement party in Putrajaya, to the Prime Minister's Office to pay.

Malaysia Chronicle