The High Court today dismissed an application by National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFC) executive chairperson Mohamad Salleh Ismail to postpone proceedings at the Sessions Court over two counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) totalling RM49.7 million.

Justice Mohd Azman Husin made the decision after examining arguments by Mohamad Salleh’s counsel, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Ilmami Ahmad.

“After scrutinising the arguments from both sides, the court found no special situation to allow the application (to postpone the proceeding),” he said.

In this regard, the court ordered hearing at the Sessions Court to proceed  and fixed next Monday for mention to set the hearing dates.       

On Jan 8, Mohamad Salleh filed an application to postpone the proceeding while awaiting an appeal to strike off the charges brought against him at the High Court, after the Sessions Court rejected Mohamad Salleh’s application to cancel the charges on Nov 22, last year.

On March 12, 2012, Mohamad Salleh, 65, as director of NFC was alleged to have committed criminal breach of trust by abusing RM9,758,140 in four cheques to make part payment for the purchase of two units of ‘One Menerung’ condominium at Parcel BI-1 and B1-2, Block B on grant number 65152, lot no 56454 in a sub-district of Kuala Lumpur.

The offence allegedly occurred between Dec 1 and 4 at the CIMB Islamic Bank Bhd, Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi in Taman Tun Dr Ismail.

For the second charge at the same address and bank between May 6 and Nov 16, 2009, he was alleged to have committed a similar offence by transferring RM40 million in one cheque into the account of National Meat & Livestock Corporation Sdn Bhd for the use of a company which he and one of his children were joint owners.

Both charges were under Section 409 of the Penal Code in which the maximum jail sentence is 20 years and caning, as well as fine upon conviction.

- Bernama