KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 — The High Court here today set October 13 to decide on a suit filed by the government against National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) to recover RM253.6 million in loan repayments and interest in connection with NFC’s project in Gemas, Negeri 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 Mohamad Salleh Ismail, who is NFC chairman 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.
Other defendants are six companies controlled by Salleh’s family — 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 Salleh to testify.
In the statement of claim, the government said it had signed a loan agreement of RM250 million with NFC on December 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 Salleh’s family was claimed to have made 10 withdrawals totalling RM180.51 million from January 24, 2008, to January 3, 2011.
— Bernama
