KUALA LUMPUR (July 1): After a one week break, Datuk Seri Najib Razak's SRC International Sdn Bhd trial for criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power involving RM42 million resumes today, with star witness and SRC director Datuk Suboh Md Yassin continuing his testimony.
Suboh, 68, would continue to give evidence in chief and reply to questions from Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Ishak Mohd Yusoff, who is also the deputy head of prosecution in the Attorney General's Chambers.
He has already so far testified how he had wanted to assist in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's investigations into SRC in 2015, but then had received a mysterious call from an "MACC officer" telling him not to go to the anti-graft body's office and to run away from Malaysia.
"I feared for my and my family's safety then as Najib was in power as the prime minister and the Finance minister," Suboh, who is the prosecution's 42nd witness, had testified.
As a result, he and his family ran to Thailand before they made their way to the United Arab Emirates. He reportedly returned to Malaysia in June last year, after three years being out of the country, after the Najib-led Barisan Nasional government lost power in the 14th general election.
Suboh also told the court, presided by High Court judge Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, that former SRC managing director Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil was the link between Najib and the SRC board.
His testimony corresponds with that of SRC former chairman Tan Sri Ismee Ismail, who was the prosecution's 39th witness, that Nik Faisal – who is still missing – was the link between the board and Najib.
Like Ismee, Suboh also testified that the board had to consult with Najib, who was also the advisor emeritus of SRC, on decisions concerning the company.
Ismee's testimony and cross examination by the defence took seven days and Suboh will likely get the same drilling.
Besides being a director of SRC, Suboh, like Nik Faisal, is also a director of the company's subsidiary, Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd.
Previous testimonies have shown that SRC's money had flowed from the company to Gandingan Mentari, and later to Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd.
From Ihsan Perdana, it somewhat made its way to Najib's AmBank account, according to the money trail the prosecution had shown, based on the accounts of earlier witnesses.
Even Ihsan Perdana's managing director Datuk Dr Shamsul Anwar Sulaiman, who was responsible for transferring the money to Najib's accounts, had said if he had known the money would be deposited to the former premier, he would not have done it.
Shamsul was given the particulars of Najib's account by Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia representatives, project director Dennis See and also its chief executive officer Ung Su Ling, who told him to make the transfer.
Suboh and Nik Faisal are both signatories of the transfer and cheques in Gandingan Mentari as they are both directors of the company.
Against these facts and testimonoes Suboh is expected to resume his testimony which may take the whole week and may resume until next week.
The Edge is bringing this hearing involving Malaysia's highest ranked politician live.