KUALA LUMPUR (July 3): Datuk Seri Najib Razak's defence team will continue to poke holes in the testimony of Datuk Suboh Md Yassin (pictured), a former director of SRC International Sdn Bhd whose signatures were found on several banking documents involved in the transfer of funds from the company to Najib's personal bank accounts.
They are expected to grill the witness at length over the inconsistency of his statements to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), where he oscillated between saying he did and did not sign documents to move millions of ringgit from SRC to its unit Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd, then onto charity programme partner Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd before reaching the former premier's coffers.
The defence will also continue to cast Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, the ex-managing director of SRC, as a clever and devious man capable of manipulating the company's affairs through actions such as forging Suboh's signatures.
During cross-examination yesterday, defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh did just that, but the witness calmly replied that Nik Faisal – whose whereabouts are currently unknown – was emboldened to behave this way thanks to his position and the backing of a powerful person whom he did not name.
However, he had earlier mentioned that Article 117, which was inserted into the company's memorandum and articles of association after a board meeting in April 2012, had given Najib the position of the SRC's advisor emeritus, and along with it control of the company.
The prosecution may be able to re-examine the witness today – an opportunity they may use to have Suboh explain his signatures and contradictory statements to the graft-busters.
Najib is facing seven charges of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power involving RM42 million of SRC funds. The trial continues this morning before High Court judge Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.
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