Businessman Shamsubahrin Ismail has handed over a transcript of SMS communications and a phone containing the messages to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Comission (MACC), purported to show that ‘a key figure in the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC)’ had attempted to bribe the police.

Shamsubahrin, previously charged with cheating NFC chairperson Mohamad Salleh Ismail of RM1.755 million, entered MACC’s headquarters in Putrajaya at 12.15pm today, accompanied by four lawyers and Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin.

“It’s about what Shamsubahrin said previously in his earlier report that he has evidence through SMSes of attempted bribery of police by a key figure in NFC,” said one of his counsel, N Surendran.

NONE"At the time, it was what Shamsubahrin (left in photo) was saying.

"Now he has came up with solid, concrete evidence... and it has been given to the authorities.

"So there is no more reason why the authorities cannot move and take action immediately," he said.

Surendran also said the MACC previously had the phone in its custody, but had returned it and did not take action until the issue had been publicised.

Shamsubahrin, who was NFC’s corporate advisor and consultant, added that the evidence would prove that he is innocent.

In his earlier report, he accused Mohamad Salleh of pressuring him to bribe the police in an effort to cover up the company’s scandal. Mohamad Salleh had denied the allegation.

Stand-off over over legal representation

After the evidence was handed over to MACC assistant enforcement officer Nurul Izwan Kamil, there was allegedly a 45-minute ‘stand-off’ between MACC officers and the lawyers when they were barred from being present while the officers took Shamsubahrin’s statement.

NONE"After what happened to Teoh Beng Hock and Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed, you still think we’re going to let go of our client?" said lawyer Latheefa Koya (right), referring to an MACC witness and a suspect who fell to their deaths from MACC’s offices after questioning.

She said this about one-and-a-half hours after Shamsubahrin entered the building, when she briefly met reporters waiting outside to inform them of what had transpired inside, and that negotiations were under way.

Eventually, said Surendran, after the group left the building at 3pm, the lawyers were allowed to wait outside the room where assistant enforcement officer Kumarasamy Ganesan spent an hour recording Shamsubahrin’s statement under video.

This allowed the lawyers Surendran, Latheefa, Afifuddi Ahmad Hafifi and Siti Maspuah Maulan to visually observe the statement being taken, but they could not hear the proceedings.

“This shows the high-handed methods that MACC and enforcement authorities in our country work. They have no respect for Datuk Shamsubahrin’s right to have his lawyer present.

"They have no repect for the law. We are very disappointed with the attitute shown by MACC today,” said Surendran, who is also a PKR vice-president.

The arrangement is based on an understanding that the statement would be regarding the phone alone, he said.

“If it were a full statement, we would not have allowed it,” he said, adding that he would raise the issue with the Bar Council.

VIDEO | 12.07 mins


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