Ex-NFCorp consultant allegedly given RM1.7m to pay off cops

(NST) - Former National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFCorp) consultant Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail was allegedly given RM1.7 million to pay off police officers investigating the 'NFC case' late last year, the Sessions Court heard yesterday.

The first witness in Shamsubahrin’s cheating trial, ASP Mohd Nor Hasnimaizam Othman said he obtained this information while questioning an official of NFCorp in relation to another case he was investigating.

 

Mohd Nor told the court that when he was questioning Hasimah Ahmad, a finance manager with NFCorp late last year, she told him that Shamsubahrin was paid RM1.7 million.

 

“Later she called me and asked if I received any money from him. I denied it,” Mohd Nor testified when questioned by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission head of prosecution Datuk Abdul Razak Musa.

 

Mohd Nor, an investigating officer with the Bukit Aman commercial crime department, was at that time investigating a sales manager from one of the subsidiary companies who was accused of misappropriation.

 

The witness said Hasimah contacted him again later and this time, allowed him to listen to a conversation she was having with Shamsubahrin at her office.

 

Unknown to Shamsubahrin, Hasimah had dialled Mohd Nor’s number and left the phone on her desk, enabling the police officer to listen in to the conversation.

 

"I heard him (Shamsubahrin) say he had given the money to 'ASP Maizam (Mohd Nor), Superintendent Ravindar (Ravindar Singh) and ASP Nordin (Nordin Md Nor)'. I also heard him say he has not yet given the IGP, deputy IGP and Datuk Tajudin (Commercial Crime Investigation Department deputy director Datuk Tajudin Md Isa),” the witness said.

 

Mohd Nor added he contacted Ravindar and Nordin and they denied receiving any money.

 

“I then told Datuk Tajudin and he advised me to lodge a police report,” he said, adding Shamsubahrin was arrested that same day.

 

Mohd Nor was testifying in the trial of Shamsubahrin, who is charged with cheating NFCorp director Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail of RM1.755 million. Shamsubahrin, is also facing 17 counts of money laundering, involving the same amount.

 

The second witness to take the stand yesterday was Tajudin, who told the court he was in charge of the three simultaneous investigations involving the NFC.

 

They were the main case involving allegations of misappropriation of RM250 million, a report lodged by NFCorp when certain confidential documents were published on the Internet and the misappropriation report against the sales manager of a NFCorp subsidiary which Mohd Nor was investigating.

 

When questioned by defence lawyer Datuk Salehuddin Saidin, Tajudin agreed that Salleh was the main suspect in the RM250 million misappropriation case.

 

He, however, denied that Shamsubahrin was arrested to divert attention from the main case which was heavily publicised in the media.

 

Lawyer Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin then questioned the witness why Shamsubahrin was arrested when the officers mentioned earlier had denied accepting any money from the accused.

 

Tajudin: For cheating.

Kamarul: Cheating who?

Tajudin: Cheating NFCorp.

Kamarul: A police report was lodged against Shamsubahrin in the morning and in the evening he was arrested. So when did formal investigations into the report begin?

Tajudin: After he was arrested.

Kamarul: So before he was arrested, there was no investigations yet?

Tajudin: Correct.

 

Hearing continues today.