The man who was convicted for cheating the National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd's (NFC) former chairperson has claimed that he was a victim of a conspiracy.

At a press conference today, Shamsubahrin Ismail said he had received a letter from the finance ministry, dated May 6, rejecting his February offer to take over NFC's paid-up capital (except the finance ministry's golden share) and assume NFC's RM250 million debt to the federal government.

The letter, signed by finance ministry strategic investment department secretary Ahmad Badri Mohd Zahiri, stated that Shamsubahrin would have to to seek NFC's agreement before approaching the ministry on settling NFC's debt.

According to Shamsubahrin, it doesn't make sense for the finance ministry, as the owner of the golden share in NFC, to insist that he should approach NFC given that the company no longer exists.

"I believe there is a conspiracy to defame me […] someone fears that if the finance ministry or NFC agrees to let me takeover the company, I will will sue the NFC former officials for misusing the funds loaned by the government.

"Asking me to talk to NFC is therefore a move to checkmate me," he told Malaysiakini, when asked to clarify his conspiracy claims.

Praise for Putrajaya

Shamsubahrin described NFC as one of the 'best projects the government has undertaken' which was why he wanted to revive it after settling its debts.

"I did not ask the government for money. In fact, I wanted to help pay off someone else's debts," he said, adding that his bid had the support of Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

On May 18, the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court convicted Shamsubahrin on five counts of cheating NFC former chairperson Mohamad Salleh Ismail and 17 counts of money-laundering.

He was handed a eight-year jail term, four strokes of the rotan and ordered to pay a penalty of RM611,895.94 - the amount he swindled that the authorities were not able to recover.

The judge allowed a stay of execution pending appeal.

In 2006, Putrajaya loaned NFC RM250 million in order to run a 1,500 hectre feedlot in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan as part of its national meat policy.

Controversy arose when the 2010 Auditor-General's Report uncovered problems with the project.

'New feedlot team in place'

It later came to light that Salleh was the husband of Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who was a cabinet minister in 2007 when he obtained the loan to run the project.

The company was also accused of using the government loan to acquire prime properties, thus misappropriating funds that the government had intended for national agriculture purposes.

After much public outcry, Putrajaya decided to cancel NFC's contract , on grounds that the company had failed to fulfil its progressive payments for the RM250 million loan.

Shahrizat's ( photo ) political career also took a major hit. On April 2012, she stepped down as Women, Family and Community Development minister.

Meanwhile, Shamsubahrin said regardless of whether his appeal is successful, his team would still attempt to revive the feedlot project.

"It doesn't matter what happens to me, because Malaysians will know the truth," Shamsubahrin said.