NFC: Police probing into cash for luxury condos

Police are attempting to verify how the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) obtained RM13.8 million to purchase two units of luxury condominiums in upmarket One Menerung Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

A source told the New Straits Times that according to the RM250 million soft loan agreement signed between the government and NFC, the funds will only be released once the contractors billed the corporation, which will then submit the invoice or delivery order to the government.

“For example, if a contractor dealing with the NFC submits a bill for RM20,000, the corporation will forward the bill to a government agency, which will then disburse the money.

“This is how the disbursement process was meant to be. If that is the case, police want to know where the funds for the two condominiums came from,” the source was quoted as saying.

Police investigations also targeted the purchases of two plots of land in Presint 10 Putrajaya for RM3.3 million, a Mercedes Benz CLS350 CGI for RM534,622 and another plot of land in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan.

“We are very interested in the acquisition of land in Putrajaya and real estate purchases.”

According to the news report, police will record statements and check documents from more than 100 contractors who had dealings with the NFC.

The source also disclosed that about a year ago, police had received reports from the NFC regarding thefts of cattle, beef, and date. Six people, including employees of the corporation, were nabbed over the thefts.

NFC chairperson keeping low profile

Meanwhile, despite mounting pressure for a full explanation on the allegations, NFC executive chairperson Mohamad Salleh Ismail has chosen to keep a low profile.

Although the allegations were made by PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli a month ago, Salleh told the Malay daily Berita Harian that he is still studying the matter before taking further action, including bringing the opposition party to court.

Declining to elaborate further, Salleh replied the daily's enquiry through a text message yesterday: “I'm currently studying Rafizi's allegations for further action.”

When asked about the action to be taken, he repeated: “I will study the allegations and take adequate action.”

Salleh is the husband of Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

He has been silent after calling a press conference last month for selected media to answer some of the allegations.

Accounts of NFC, a cattle-farming project funded by taxpayers, were reported to be “in a mess” in the Auditor-General’s Report, which was released in October.

Digging deeper, PKR has since unearthed public documents that revealed NFC’s sister-company, National Livestock and Meats Corporation, had used part of the RM250 million government loan to some questionable purchases.

The controversy has put Shahrizat under pressure within and outside of the party. At least two of her Umno colleagues have openly urged her to step down while several others have demanded the couple to explain the allegations.

Insisting that she has nothing to do with the project, the Wanita Umno chief has refused to take any questions pertaining to the matter.