Mohamad Salleh acquitted of RM49.7mil CBT charges

KUALA LUMPUR: National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) executive chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail has been acquitted of two criminal breach of trust (CBT) charges involving RM49.7mil.

His wife, Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who was sitting in the front row of the public gallery, could not hide her happiness and shed tears of joy.

Dr Mohamad Salleh, 66, who is also the director of NFCorp, had allegedly channelled RM9,758,140 through four NFCorp cheques to partly pay for the purchase of two condominiums at the One Mene­rung complex in Kuala Lumpur.

He was accused of committing the offence at the CIMB Islamic Bank in Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, between Dec 1 and Dec 4, 2009.

He was also accused of transferring RM40mil via a cheque to National Meat & Livestock Cor­poration Sdn Bhd within the same period.

He also faced two alternative charges of using the funds prior to getting approval at the company’s annual general meeting.

Earlier, Sessions Court judge Norshahidah Awang allowed an application by Dr Mohamad Salleh’s counsel Tan Sri Dr Shafee Abdullah that he be given a full acquittal in accordance with Section 254 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Earlier, DPP Syed Faisal Syed Amir asked that Dr Mohamad Salleh be given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA), in response to a representation letter from his lawyer to the Attorney-General’s Chambers in September.

But Shafee objected to the DNAA.

“It has got to amount to an acquittal as the charges will be hanging over his head,” he told the court.

After the court stood down for over 90 minutes, Syed Faisal submitted that the prosecution had no objection to the bid for an acquittal.

On Aug 28, the Court of Appeal rejected Dr Mohamad Salleh’s bid to dismiss a High Court decision to strike out his application for the two CBT charges to be dropped, and ordered the trial to proceed in the Sessions Court.