NFC 'scapegoat' Shamsubahrin’s safety in danger, warns PKR

PKR said businessman Shamsubahrin Ismail, who was arrested over a cheating case linked to the probe on scandal-ridden National Feedlot Corporation owned by the family of Wanita UMNO head, has been threatened, and called for his personal security as a main witness in the scandal.

Shamsubahrin, 45, (pic) pleaded not guilty after he was charged at the Sessions Court last month for allegedly cheating NFC executive chairman Mohamad Salleh Ismail, the husband of Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, of RM1.76 million in consultation fees by offering fraudulent advisory services.

Today, Shamsubahrin claimed trial to another cheating charge, this time a taxi driver out of RM90,000 in a fraudulent investment deal two years ago.

Shamsubahrin was first arrested on December 22 for attempting to bribe investigating officers involved in the NFC probe, and had his remand extended three times before being charged in court.

“What we are seeing now is Shamsubahrin has been made the scapegoat in the NFC fiasco to cover someone’s track,” said Zuraida Kamaruddin, Wanita PKR's head and Ampang member of parliament.

Earlier, PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli had claimed that Shamsubahrin was just the middleman for Salleh in the attempt to bribe police and MACC officers to influence the course of the investigation into NFC.

"PKR has ascertained through sources that the RM1.755 million Mohamad Salleh paid (to Shamsubahrin Ismail) was intended to bribe police and MACC investigators. Shamsubahrin was just the middleman, in collusion with Mohamad Salleh,” Rafizi said, adding that the bribe money was disguised as 'consultancy fees'.

Shamsubahrin’s counsel N. Surendran meanwhile said his client had many information on NFC and he was being silenced by slapping on him a corruption charge.

“Shamsubahrin will be making a police report for the first time because earlier he did not know what had transpired,” he said, adding that PKR will reveal the police report to public.

-Harakahdaily