By Aathi Shankar
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak was never entrusted with SRC International Sdn Bhd’s money, the company former chairman-director, Tan Sri Ismee Ismail told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today, Tuesday, June 18, 2019.
It’s a common knowledge that for one to breach a trust, one should have been entrusted with something.
Thus, it’s mind boggling to learn that Najib has been slapped with three criminal breach of trust (CBT) charges pertaining to SRC International’s funds when the former premier was never entrusted with the company’s money.
According to Ismee, only the SRC International signatories, who were members of its 5-man board of directors, were entrusted with the company’s funds.
Besides Ismee, the other four directors were former SRC International chief executive officer (CEO) Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, Datuk Suboh Yassin, Datuk Che Abdullah @ Rashidi Che Omar dan Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, who is also the former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) president and CEO.
During cross examination, Ismee agreed with the defence that only authorised signatories were given the entrustment over SRC International’s monies.
The prosecution’s 39th witness replied with a firm “Yes” when the lead defence counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah asked: “Because Najib was not the signatory, he was never entrusted with SRC’s money?”
The 54-year-old’s testimony may have ripped apart the prosecution’s case against Najib, who currently faces seven corruption charges pertaining to SRC International funds.
The charges were three each for CBT under Section 409 of the Penal Code and money laundering under Section 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities (AMLA) Act 2001, and one for abuse of power under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act (MACC) 2009.
One wonders on what grounds that the prosecution, or more specifically the learned Attorney-General Tommy Thomas, had pressed the CBT charges against Najib!
Hearing continues tomorrow before Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.
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