SHAH ALAM: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) strategic director Mohd Rafizi Ramli yesterday pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court to disclosing to the media project accounts related to the controversial National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) Sdn Bhd.
Mohd Rafizi, 35, was charged with revealing the balance summary of Public Bank clients NFC, National Meat & Livestock Sdn Bhd, Agroscience Industries Sdn Bhd and NFC chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail, to which he had access, to Yusof Abdul Alim and Erle Martin Carvalho at the PKR headquarters in Merchant Square, Jalan Tropicana Selatan, Petaling Jaya on March 7 this year.
He was charged under the Banking and Financial Institutions Act (Bafia), which provides for a maximum jail term of three years or a fine of up to RM3 million, or both upon conviction.
Bank clerk Johari Mohamad, 41, who was charged with conspiring with Mohd Rafizi at the same place and date, also pleaded not guilty.
Judge Aslam Zainuddin set bail at RM15,000 with one surety each for both Mohd Rafizi and Johari and set Sept 10 for mention and for both the cases to be tried simultaneously.
Meanwhile, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said the state government had set aside money from a special fund to meet Mohd Rafizi’s legal costs.
He said RM500,000 had been set aside, which was 10 per cent of the RM5 million fund established for informers of corrupt practices.
The RM5 million was set aside under the SelangorKu Grant totalling RM300 million, he told reporters after chairing the weekly meeting of the State Executive Council here. — Bernama