The proposal was strange because sturgeon farming had nothing to do with the company’s core business of oil palm planting and harvesting, said the report quoting a source familiar with the business deal.

As such, said the source, FGV, which is the commercial arm of Federal Land Development Authority (Felda), rejected the proposal not once but twice, in 2011 and again in 2012.

The source said FGV first received in 2011 a group of visitors at its office who had come with the proposal for investment in a sturgeon farm, utilising South Korean technology.

“The group claimed it had the backing of a local politician and that it was a lucrative business, promising solid investment returns faster than the oil palm tree, which takes 15 to 20 years to bear fruit,” he said.

He said FGV rejected the proposal then as it had nothing to do with its oil palm business.

“At more than RM100 million in investment for the sturgeon farming business, it would have been better for FGV to buy a ship at the time, because, at the very least, FGV could transport its crude palm oil to export markets, such as Turkey,” said the source.

The following year, a second group arrived to pitch another sturgeon farming proposal, this time using European technology, to FGV.

“Again, FGV rejected the proposal, but somehow, years later, the sturgeon business ended up at Felda.

“If bauxite was found in Felda’s oil palm estates, it would have been better for FGV to mine bauxite because at least, bauxite is found naturally in our soil and we can make money out of it.

“Caviar, on the other hand, is something foreign, not only to FGV, but to our customs and traditions.”

On Tuesday, MACC detained five people, three serving and two former employees of Felda on suspicion of corruption relating to a sturgeon farming project worth RM146.25 million.

“They are suspected to have abused their positions for personal gain on the project,” an MACC source was reported to have said.