KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 — Businessman Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail told the Sessions Court today that he created a reason so that the former chairman of National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFCorp), Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail would set up a fund to pay the police.
Shamsubahrin, 48, said he came up with the reason after a discussion with former senior police officer Datuk Ahmad Damanhuri Mohd Yusof, who had a good rapport with the police, regarding the problems faced by Mohamad Salleh and NFCorp.
He quoted Ahmad Damanhuri as saying “To work with police nothing is free” and for that reason he needed the funds.
“So the text message I sent to Mohamad Salleh was a reason created to help him and the company prepare the funds if asked for by the police and Damanhuri,” said Shamsubahrin in reply to a question by lawyer Hasnal Redzua Merican on an SMS sent to Mohamad Salleh.
However, Shamsubahrin added that Mohamad Salleh had not made any payments to the police in relation to NFCorp.
He said Mohamad Salleh told him about the matter the first time they met at Sid’s Pub at H2, Taman Tunku, Off Langkat Tunku here at 6pm on November 20, 2011.
On another issue, Shamsubahrin testified that he had set the consultancy fees at RM3.5 million for 12 to 24 months to handle the company’s situation but the sum was not agreed upon by Mohamad Salleh.
“So I reduced it to RM2.5 million and Mohamad Salleh agreed,” he said during his defence trial on five charges of cheating Mohamad Salleh of RM1.75 million and 17 counts of money laundering.
Shamsubahrin is accused of misleading Mohamad Salleh into believing that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had requested him to offer consultancy and advisory services, thereby inducing the victim to agree on a fee of RM2.75 million.
The hearing before Judge Rozilah Salleh will resume on April 7. — Bernama
