KUALA LUMPUR (May 17): National Feedlot Corp Sdn Bhd (NFCorp), its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail and nine others have yet to reach a settlement with the Malaysian government in the RM250 million lawsuit initiated against them.

Mohamad Salleh and the nine others are accused of misappropriating RM118 million from a RM250 million loan granted to NFCorp by the government in December 2007 to set up and operate a national feedlot centre in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan.

The government is seeking from the accused RM253.62 million, which includes accrued annual interest of 2% from May 1, 2019.

On Jan 25 this year, High Court judge Anand Ponnudurai had given the parties until May 17 to reach a settlement or continue with the civil suit before him.

However, on Tuesday (May 17), both parties informed the judge that they would require a further extension as a settlement is currently still in the works and has not been finalised yet.

The government was represented by senior federal counsel Azliza Ali while Mohamad Salleh and the others were represented by Datuk Seri Rajan Navaratnam.

After the case, Rajan told theedgemarkets.com that the court had granted an adjournment to the case. He said the court had set Nov 7 for the case to continue.

Should a settlement not be reached by both parties, the trial will continue from Nov 7 to 11.

Azliza, speaking to theedgemarkets.com, said the judicial commissioner also set August 23 for case management to inform the court of the status of the settlement.

“The adjournment is pursuant to the fact that parties are still in the midst of negotiating with a view to explore an amicable settlement,” Rajan said.

The trial began in February 2020. The government had closed its case on March 17, 2021.

Mohamad Salleh was poised to take the stand in his defence in January, when both parties asked for an adjournment pending the settlement.

Mohamad Salleh is the husband of former women, family and community development minister Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

Besides Mohamad Salleh and NFCorp, the accused include the couple’s three children Wan Shahinur Izran, Wan Shahinur Izmir and Wan Izzana Fatimah Zabedah as well as six other companies owned by the family.

Mohamad Salleh will take the stand should the case continue in November.

The government is also seeking a personal declaration from Mohamad Salleh and his three children that they are personally liable for the RM118 million and that the money will be repaid by them to the government.

Wan Shahinur Izran and Wan Izzana were also directors of NFCorp.