Mohamad Salleh faces earlier trial on 23 June

KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 :  The trial of National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFCorp) executive chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh, who is facing two charges of criminal breach of trust involving RM49.7 million, has been speeded up to June 23.

Sessions Court Judge Norsharidah Awang set the date after deputy public prosecutor Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud told the court that on May 5 the High Court had ordered the case to be heard earlier after dismissing Mohamad Salleh’s application to postpone the hearing pending an appeal to strike off the charges against him.

“I agree with the prosecution. We will proceed by calling for the first witness on June 23, as there has been no progress on this case since 2012,” she said.

Earlier in the proceedings, Awang Armadajaya had applied to the court to set the hearing for June as Mohamad Salleh’s case had been delayed since 2012.

Mohamad Salleh’s lawyer, Wan Shahrizal Wan Ladin, however, applied for a Nov date to accommodate Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who was the lead counsel for the defence team.

The court set May 26 for a pre-trial consultation between both parties and June 13 for case management.

Awang Armadajaya said the prosecution would call on 70 witnesses and present a total of 1,200 documents.

On March 12, 2012, Mohamad Salleh, 65, as director of NFCorp was alleged to have committed criminal breach of trust by misappropriating RM9,758,140 in four cheques to make part payment for the purchase of two units at ‘One Menerung’ condominium in Kuala Lumpur.

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

He also faces a second charge of transferring a RM40 million cheque into the National Meat & Livestock Corporation Sdn Bhd account of which he and one of his children were joint account holders at the same bank between May 6 and Nov 16, 2009.

Both charges were under Section 409 of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum jail sentence of 20 years and caning, as well as fine, upon conviction. – BERNAMA