Oct 13 decision on govt's suit against NFC

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here set Oct 13 to decide on a suit filed by the government against National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) to recover RM253.6mil in loan repayments and interest from the company in connection with the National Feedlot Centre project in Gemas, Negri Sembilan.

Judge Anand Ponnudurai set the date after hearing clarification on the case by both parties.

The proceeding was attended by senior federal counsel Nurhafizza Azizan dan Asliza Ali, representing the government, and lawyer Datuk K. Kirubakaran, who represented the 11 defendants named in the suit.

The government named NFC as the first defendant, while Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail, who is NFC chairman Mohamad Salleh and husband of former Women, Family and Community Development Minister Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and their three children, Wan Shahinur Izran, Wan Shahinur Izmir and Wan Izzana Fatimah Zabedah, are the second to fifth defendants, respectively.

Other defendants are six companies controlled by Mohamad Salleh’s family, comprising National Meat & Livestock Corporation Sdn Bhd, Real Food Corporation Sdn Bhd, Meatworks Corporation Sdn Bhd, Agroscience Industries Sdn Bhd, Asian Bioscience Corporation Sdn Bhd, and Technology Imageware (M) Sdn Bhd.

Hearing of the case began in 2021, with the government calling seven witnesses including former Treasury Secretary-General Tan Sri Ahmad Badri Mohd Zahir, while the defendants called five witnesses including Mohamad Salleh to testify.

In the statement of claim, the government stated it had signed a loan agreement totalling RM250mil with NFC on Dec 6, 2007, to finance the costs of establishing and operating a National Feedlot Centre in Gemas as part of its policy to develop and increase beef production.

The loan was disbursed in three tranches and Mohamad Salleh's family was claimed to have made 10 withdrawals amounting to RM180.51mil from Jan 24, 2008, to Jan 3, 2011.- Bernama