(Nov 24): National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFCorp) executive chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail was today acquitted of two charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving RM49.7 million.

Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court judge Norsharidah Awang granted Salleh the acquittal after lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and deputy public prosecutor Syed Faisal Syed Amir met in her chambers.

The judge did not give the reason for her decision.

Earlier, Syed Faisal told the court that Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali had consented to give Salleh a discharge not amounting to an acquittal following a letter of representation sent to the Attorney-General’s Chambers in September.

Shafee said his client should be freed because of special circumstances of the case, and that an acquittal should be given since the trial had started.

The judge then met Shafee and Syed Faisal in chambers.

Salleh, 66, who is also a director of NFCorp, was charged with misappropriating RM9.76 million last year by way of four cheques from NFCorp funds to finance the purchase of two condominium units at the One Menerung complex in Kuala Lumpur.

He allegedly committed the offence between December 1 and 4, 2009, at the CIMB Islamic Bank Bhd in Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, Taman Tun Dr Ismail.

He was also charged with committing a similar offence by transferring RM40 million by way of a cheque, between May 6 and November 16, 2009, to the account of the National Meat & Livestock Corporation Sdn Bhd, which he and one of his children own.

Salleh also faces two other charges relating to using company funds without the approval of an annual general meeting to make part payment for the condominium units.

He had gone to the High Court and Court of Appeal to strike out the charge but failed.

In September, Shafee wrote a letter of representation to the Attorney-General's Chambers to withdraw the charges. – The Malaysian Insider