The criminal trial of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak involving the alleged misappropriation of funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd enters its 32nd day today at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the proceedings.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Defence probes timing of Ihsan Perdana appointment
- Zahid drops in
- Suboh's son joined SRC project management team in 2014
- SRC board confronted Nik Faisal, despite 'mountain behind him'
- Suboh unsure why Nik Faisal's term as CEO, MD not renewed
- Laughter as Suboh asks lawyer: 'You need a break?'
- 'SRC had scanty management team, roles of many figures unknown'
- AG seeks further SRC trial dates beyond Aug 15
Defence probes timing of Ihsan Perdana appointment
11.45am - The court hears that Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil was no longer the CEO and managing director of SRC International when the company appointed Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd as its corporate social responsibility partner.
Former SRC International non-executive director, Suboh Md Yassin, agrees with defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh that Nik Faisal's tenure had ended on Aug 11, 2014.
He also confirmed that Ihsan Perdana was appointed as the company’s CSR partner in September that year.
Harvinderjit then continues cross-examining Suboh on Nik Faisal's claims that he directly reported to then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.
Zahid drops in
11.30am - Former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi enters court.
The former home minister takes a seat in the front row, directly behind the dock where accused Najib Abdul Razak sits.
A short while later, the Umno president exits the courtroom.
Suboh's son joined SRC project management team in 2014
11.20am - The High Court hears from former SRC International director Suboh Md Yassin that a son of his had joined the company's project management team in October 2014.
Suboh, who was a non-executive director of the company then, testifies today that his son named Sufian joined the team under the leadership of SRC International's new CEO Azhar Osman Khairuddin.
Harvinderjit: According to the minutes of the board meeting in Oct 2014, you attended (the meeting)?
Suboh: Yes.
Harvinderjit: There is Sufian bin Suboh, is he your son?
Suboh: Yes.
Harvinderjit: He joined the (SRC International) project management team?
Suboh: Yes.
Harvinderjit: (Under) Azhar (Osman) Khairuddin, he undertook two projects, namely the national strategic coal initative, and the trans-Sabah gas pipeline, correct?
Suboh: Yes.
Harvinderjit: Your son was appointed to the project management team under Azhar.
Suboh: Yes.
The defence counsel acting for former premier Najib Abdul Razak then continues cross-examining Suboh regarding Azhar's appointment as the company CEO.
SRC board confronted Nik Faisal, despite ‘mountain behind him’
11.15am - Despite allegedly having a "mountain behind him", then SRC International CEO and managing director Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil was confronted by the company's board for misleading it over the submission of audited company accounts for 2013.
Former company director Suboh Md Yassin agrees with this contention by lawyer Harvinderjit Singh.
The 42nd witness also agrees with the lawyer that despite being described as having a "mountain behind him" (as testified by Suboh yesterday), Nik Faisal was made to relinquish his position on Aug 11, 2014.
Harvinderjit: Referring to minutes of Aug 11, 2014, Nik Faisal was no longer CEO of SRC.
Suboh: Yes, okay.
Harvinderjit: (This is despite) the ‘mountain behind’ the man (Nik Faisal). Who took over?
Suboh: (Mohammed) Azhar (Osman Khairuddin).
Yesterday, Suboh described Nik Faisal as having been "emboldened" due to an unidentified person’s support, comparing it to the Chinese saying of having a mountain behind one’s back.
Suboh unsure why Nik Faisal's term as CEO, MD not renewed
11.10am - The High Court in Kuala Lumpur hears from Suboh Md Yassin that he was not aware why Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil’s appointment as SRC International CEO and managing director (MD) was not renewed in 2014.
Suboh, who is a former non-executive director of the company, tells the court that he believed that SRC International board of directors could have made the decision because they were unhappy with Nik Faisal.
Harvinderjit: Did you know that Nik Faisal’s tenure as CEO and MD came to an end when you were still an SRC director?
Suboh: I don’t know, actually, that it happened.
Harvinderjit: I’m not talking about him abdicating or running away. There was a point in 2014 when the board resolved not to continue his role as MD and CEO. Do you know this?
Suboh: Yes, yes.
Harvinderjit: You know this? What was the reason the board resolved not to continue his term?
Suboh: Maybe the board was not happy with him.
Harvinderjit: So, you are not sure?
Suboh: I’m not sure what the actual reason was.
11.01am - Proceedings resume after a short break.
Laughter as Suboh asks lawyer: 'You need a break?'
10.37am - The whole court erupts in laughter when former SRC International director, Suboh Md Yassin, asks lawyer Harvinderjit Singh whether he needs a break.
"You need a break?" asks the 68-year-old 42nd witness, putting the much younger lawyer and those present in stitches.
The canny question is a response from Harvinderjit's initial query to Suboh on whether the witness would like a short break of proceedings.
A very short while later, judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali allows a 10-minute break.
'SRC had scanty management team, roles of many figures unknown'
9.45am: Former SRC International director Suboh Md Yassin (above) tells the court that he did not know who was in the company's management team other than its then CEO and managing director Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil.
Testifying under cross-examination by defence lawyer Harvinderjit Singh, he says that SRC International management was "scanty people".
Harvinderjit: Did you meet SRC management apart from Nik Faisal?
Suboh: I did not know if (SRC International) got a management team or not. Only saw Nik Faisal. For most occasions, I did not know who was the management team. Very scanty people.
To another question by Harvinderjit, he testifies that while he had met several other figures at SRC International office during his tenure as a director there, including Terrence Geh, Radi Mohd and one Vincent Beng, he did not know what were their roles in the company.
The witness agrees that the lack of clarity persisted during his time as director there.
This includes what Nik Faisal (above) was doing in the company.
Harvinderjit: Same as Terrence Geh?
Suboh: I don't know what they were doing.
Harvinderjit: Same as Nik Faisal, you don't know what he was doing also?
Suboh: Yes, yes, yes.
AG seeks further SRC trial dates beyond Aug 15
9.16am - Attorney-General Tommy Thomas applies for further trial dates of Najib Abdul Razak's RM42 million SRC case, which is set to end on Aug 15.
He tells judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali this is necessary due to the current pace of proceedings.
According to previously agreed trial schedule, the RM42 million SRC International trial will end on Aug 15, with Najib's 1MDB trial before separate Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah set to begin on Aug 19.
Nazlan tells Thomas that he is open to further trial dates in September and November, but that he is set to hear another criminal case in October.
Thomas then informs Nazlan that the prosecution would revert back with Sequerah and check whether he (Sequerah) is agreeable to vacating the 1MDB trial from Aug 19.
9.15am - Proceedings begin, with Najib Abdul Razak entering the dock.
9.01am - Wearing a dark magenta suit, former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak enters the court.
The accused is seen conferring with his defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh while awaiting proceedings to begin.
Also seen in court is Attorney-General Tommy Thomas, DPP V Sithambaram and other members of the prosecution team.
Najib Abdul Razak’s defence team is expected to keep up the heat in their cross-examination of former SRC International director Suboh Md Yassin today.
Having suffered a stroke years ago, the 42nd witness will face a slew of questions from lawyer Harvinderjit Singh as former premier Najib’s RM42 million SRC International trial before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali enters the 32nd day.
Lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah’s cross-examination of Suboh yesterday revealed that the witness had changed three times the statements he gave to MACC in a series of statement recordings in 2015 and last year.
Shafee’s targeted questions also made Suboh give curt “Yes” replies as the veteran lawyer utilised a projector and slides to try convince the witness that his signature had been forged by SRC International’s then CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil in order to authorise fund transfers of millions of ringgit involving the accounts of the company, its subsidiary Gandingan Mentari, and its CSR partner Ihsan Perdana, among others.
However, despite relentless cross-examination, the 68-year-old witness, who uses a walking stick, has proven himself capable of delivering surprising testimony, such as his statement yesterday that Nik Faisal was emboldened by not only his position in SRC International but also by having “somebody behind him”. - Mkini
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