Friday 29 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (July 1): SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former unit of beleaguered sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd, was ordered by "orang atasan" (top people) to be involved in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, paving the way for the appointment of Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd as its partner — and a path for SRC's monies to be transferred from SRC into Datuk Seri Najib Razak's personal bank accounts.

SRC director Datuk Mohd Suboh Md Yasin testified today that when he asked the company's former managing director and chief executive officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil why the company — which was set up to ensure the security of the country's energy supply — was embarking on CSR programmes through Ihsan Perdana, the latter replied that these were the instructions given.

"According to the CEO (Nik Faisal) the top people (in the company) has agreed. I have no doubt in my mind that the person he referred to as 'orang atas' (top people) [is] Datuk Seri Najib Razak," the witness said when replying to questions from Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Ishak Mohd Yusoff.

Najib as advisor emeritus of the company was given full control over the administration of the company following an amendment to the company's memorandum and articles of association.

Meanwhile, Suboh had signed off numerous cash transfers from SRC to Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd, as well as from Gandingan Mentari to Ihsan Perdana, a company engaged to undertake CSR activities on behalf of SRC.

They had signed off transfers, worth at least RM5 million, made between December 2014 and February 2015.

Earlier, before the court proceedings started, Najib through his lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah tried to have today's proceedings be deferred to tomorrow so that the former premier could attend the tabling of the bill requiring all elected representatives to make their asset declaration to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

However, the request was turned down by High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.

Najib later took to social media to accuse Pakatan Harapan (PH) of preventing him from doing his duties as an MP.

"In Barisan Nasional's time, the court cases of PH leaders such as Lim Guan Eng, Lim Kit Siang, the late Karpal Singh and the future eighth prime minister [Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim] were postponed when Parliament was in PH's, my case was not allowed to be postponed, including when there is a vote in Parliament to pass bills on the affairs of the nation.

"Even if I were to go to Parliament, Pakatan Harapan has tabled a motion to suspend me as an MP for three months.

"PH is stopping me from going to Parliament... and then they are accusing me of not daring to enter Parliament," he said.

 

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