KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 7): The Government’s RM250 million lawsuit against National Feedlot Corp Sdn Bhd (NFCorp), its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail and nine others was ordered to resume on Tuesday (Nov 8) after a request for adjournment pending a settlement by both parties was denied.

In the trial, which was supposed to resume on Monday (Nov 7), judge Anand Ponnudurai heard a request from senior federal counsel Nurhafizza Azizan to adjourn the trial further as both parties were seeking an out of court settlement.

However, Anand refused her request as he had previously given time for both parties to seek a settlement, which has not been reached to date.

“It has been more than two years since the case started. Parties have asked for an adjournment to settle the matter.

“Those involved in the settlement must also know the court’s predicament. In the interest of justice the case will start tomorrow (Tuesday, Nov 8),” the judge said.

Anand, who was a judicial commissioner at the High Court here and has been transferred to Penang as a High Court judge, told parties that any further adjournment will only result in the trial continuing next year in March or April as he would have to clear his schedule and travel from Penang to hear the case.

He said the settlement talks could be still held while the trial continues.

In the case, which began in February 2020, six witnesses have taken the stand for the Government and one for Salleh and his family.

Salleh was slated to take the stand in his defence in January this year, when both sides asked for an adjournment pending the settlement.

The lawyers representing Salleh and his family were Datuk Seri Rajan Navaratnam and Datuk K Kirubakaran.

Anand had previously ordered for the trial to resume from Nov 7 to 11 as the parties had not come to a settlement.

When the trial resumes on Tuesday, Salleh is poised to take the stand in his defence. He is the husband of former women, family and community development minister Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

Salleh and nine others are accused of misappropriating RM118 million from a RM250 million loan granted to NFCorp by the Government in December 2007 to set up and operate a national feedlot centre in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan.

The Government is seeking from the accused RM253.62 million, including accrued annual interest of 2% from May 1, 2019.

Apart from Salleh and NFCorp, the others accused are the couple’s three children, namely Wan Shahinur Izran, Wan Shahinur Izmir and Wan Izzana Fatimah Zabedah, as well as six other companies owned by the family.

The Government is also seeking a personal declaration from Salleh and his three children that they are personally liable for the RM118 million, and that they will repay the Government the RM118 million.

Wan Shahinur Izran and Wan Izzana were also directors of NFCorp.