The Sessions Court's aqcuittal of National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) executive chairperson Mohamad Salleh Ismail this morning on criminal breach of trust charges is a 'peculiar and unusual situation' as the decision appears to be made before the full trial was concluded, Bar Council member Syahredzan Johan said.

In a series of tweets, the lawyer said there were reports of the prosecution having agreed to drop the charges against Mohamad Salleh and give him a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.

“However, the defence pushed for an acquittal on the basis that the trial has started. Apparently, prosecution agreed.

“So we have a peculiar and I must say unusual situation where a person is acquitted even before a full trial has been concluded,” he said, adding it was even more unusual that the prosecution had agreed to this 'unusual acquittal' without full trial."

To a question on whether Malaysia’s judiciary system allows Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali to drop the charges against Mohamad Salleh, Syahredzan replied, "Yes."

Mohamad Salleh Ismail was this morning acquitted of four criminal breach of trust charges involving RM49.7 million.

Pleaded not guilty

On March 12, 2012, Mohamad Salleh, 66, who is also NFC director, claimed trial to misappropriating RM9,758,140 through four NFC cheques to fund part of the purchase of two condominiums at One Menerung complex in Kuala Lumpur.

He also claimed trial to transferring RM40 million through an NFC cheque into the account of National Meat & Livestock Corporation Sdn Bhd, a company which he and one of his children owned, between May 6 and Nov 16, 2009.

He further pleaded not guilty to two counts of using company funds without obtaining prior approval at NFC’s annual general meeting, to fund part of the purchase of the condominiums.

The trial commenced on June 23, 2014 with the prosecution calling its first witness. Mohamad Salleh is the husband of Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.