NFC probe ‘80 per cent done’, says CCID chief

By Mohd Farhan Darwis

January 03, 2012

File photo of the NFC in Gemas. — Picture by Jack Ooi

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 — The police probe into possible criminal breach of trust at the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) is “80 per cent done”, federal commercial crime chief Datuk Syed Ismail Syed Azizan said today. 

 

“Our investigation into the NFC scandal is 80 per cent done. Give us a bit more time, we need to wrap up before we hand the investigation papers to the Attorney-General,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

The police began their probe into the RM250 million publicly-funded cattle raising scheme following accusations by PKR that millions in federal funds meant for the project had been misappropriated.

The opposition party first latched onto the issue after the NFC, run by Datuk Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail, made it into this year’s Auditor-General’s Report for failing to meet production targets.

Mohamad Salleh, a former food science head at Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, is husband to federal minister and Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil.

PKR has since made several revelations relating to the scandal, including NFC’s purchase of two luxury condominium units in Bangsar and alleged use of project funds for Shahrizat and her family’s personal expenses.

It also claimed there was a transfer of resources to unrelated companies in Singapore, as well as the purchase of a Mercedes-Benz CLS350 for RM534,622 and two plots of land in Putrajaya’s Precinct 10 for RM3,363,507.

The latest disclosure by PKR, made a fortnight ago, further alleged that some RM10 million had been diverted towards the purchase of a luxury condominium in Singapore for Shahrizat’s family.

Shahrizat has tried to deflect attention by stating she is “only the wife” of the national cattle farming project’s chairman and had nothing to do with the NFC.

The senator has faced calls to quit as minister from within Umno, including from influential former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Last Friday, businessman Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail was charged in the Sessions Court here for allegedly cheating Mohamad Salleh out of RM1.76 million in consultation fees by offering him fraudulent advisory services.