YOURSAY 'Many in Umno believe that the party will protect them from ‘harm'. After all, most of the leaders are as wrong as she is, if not worse.'

NFC boss claims trial to 4 charges

your say Docs: I would like to outline my storyline for Cowgate. Mohammad Salleh Ismail charged in court, yes, but his case will take years to come to trial.

By then, the rakyat would have forgotten about Cowgate as their attention will be focused on the latest Umno scandals of the day. Salleh will be freed of all wrongdoings.

The Shahrizat clan will get to pocket on what's left of the RM250 million NFC (National Feedlot Corporation) money.

Changeagent: How come only the father is charged? All charges should apply to the children as well since the properties purchased and 'National Meat and Livestock Corporation' are under their joint names.

Vgeorgemy: Judge SM Komathy Suppiah has always shown exception to the tainted judiciary but she will not be allowed to complete the trial.

We know how tainted upper echelon of the judiciary. After all, the recently retired top judge's wife is part of RM2.2 billion highway project.

Fairnessforall: It's good to see that at least judge Komathy Suppiah is not one of those judges who can easily be bought and accept a low bail for Salleh.

She is right that the amount in question is huge and its taxpayers' money. In fact, even the bail of RM500,000 is low considering the amount involved.

Salleh and the rest of the family who have allegedly made the various decisions to misuse the NFC funds should be severely punished and they must be given a jail term. There is no such thing as just a fine.

CiViC: Seriously? His son posted the RM500,000 bail? From what money? From NFC's money? If it is, then is it not another charge of using the funds without calling an AGM (annual general meeting)?

If it's not, can someone investigate how he got the money? RM500,000 is not a lot by NFC's standard, but it's still questionable.

FLOM: I am totally disgusted at the DPP (deputy public prosecutor) agreeing to a RM50,000 bail. What kind of message is his boss, the attorney-general, trying to send to would-be big-time corrupt officials? Luckily we have a sensible judge.

Many in Umno believe that the party will protect them from ‘harm'. After all, many of their colleagues and most of their leaders are as wrong as they are, if not worse.

But the chicken must come home to roost some day. Like the guy at the end of the chain letter, he is stuck. That day is nigh.

Abasir: If ever there was a clear indication of the game that's about to begin, it is this: "Deputy public prosecutor Dzulkifli Ahmad agreed to the amount".

Like the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial where the defence, the prosecution and the judge collaborated to steer the hearing along a predetermined path, this sham trial will prove to be a well-scripted ‘sandiwara'.

And as in the previous case when the first judge was replaced with a more 'suitable' one, judge Komathy will soon be assigned to some other matter.

And once again, the trial will see the deliberate omission of all the key role players in this scam: then agriculture minister, the deputy PM, the Treasury representatives on the BoD (board of directors) of NFC, the NFC CEO and the KSN (chief secretary to the government), who 'facilitated' the transfer of taxpayer funds either by omission or commission.

Kgen: Salleh is not charged with corruption, he is charged with using the funds without the approval of the NFC's annual general meeting.

This is designed to enable him to wriggle out easily. He only has to prove with backdated minutes that the NFC board had agreed to the transactions and he will be off the hook.

Disgusted: It's strange that the other directors (Salleh's sons and daughter) are not charged as well.

They should be held culpable of the crime by making decisions for properties bought under their name with the NFC funds.

I just don't trust all that is happening. It's just an eyewash before elections and after the elections, the charges may be dropped for lack of evidence or some other technicality.

If not, even if given a sentence, it will be subsequently overturned by the appeallate court. Hasn't that been the trend with such cases over the last few years?

Unspin: This is the power of a two-party system. If this case had surfaced prior to March 2008, it would have been swept under the carpet and the whistleblowers would have got themselves into hot soup.

Bravo to MPs Rafizi Ramli, Zuraida Kamaruddin and Tony Pua for their relentless pursuit of this matter. Also, congratulations to the ruling regime for being brave enough to act on one of your own. It is better late than never.

REDHantu: As a minority Malaysian in Malaysia, I am quite happy that the NEP was set up to eradicate poverty. That is a commendable goal. After all, Malaysia has a small population compared to other surrounding countries and is endowed with many natural resources.

I think it is good to help the poor Malay population. But the Malay population must realise that Umno leaders are thieves. And as a minority, I cannot stand silent when I see the so-called protectors of the Malay race and stewards of Islam are cheating everyone.

Umno has become a collection of scoundrels bent on making money for themselves. Billions of ringgit are stolen with impunity.

1 Dream: Minister Shahrizat says that her family works very hard and doesn't deserve to be in such a situation when Cowgate was first exposed.

No, your family deserves to be in this situation because of your greediness. When you came back from your umrah, you exposed your aurat in front of your lackies at the Umno General Assembly by unfolding your sleeves.

Now you are all covered up in white to denote your sinless and pure self when you attend your husband's trial. What hypocrisy. Your family deserves this for cheating the rakyat's money.

Indon Planter: Why charge Salleh? So many who walk the corridor of power agreed that he is innocent - the DPM, agriculture minister and Umno Youth chief. Even the deputy IGP (inspector-general of police) said there was no case.

What more, Perkasa's Ibrahim Ali and the many NGOs had also accepted his explanation. With such overwhelming support, this should be a "buang case" or maybe a slap on the wrist.

 

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