Kenneth Tee, The Malay Mail.
June 17 — SRC International Sdn Bhd documents submitted by former SRC International chief executive Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil may not be authentic and could be called into “question”, a witness conceded at the High Court trial of Datuk Seri Najib Razak today.
Former SRC International director Tan Sri Ismee Ismail was earlier asked if with the fraudulent representations made by Nik Faisal on numerous SRC activities with regard to the loan from the Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP) and the minutes from the Minister of Finance Incorporated (MoF Inc) brought to the attention of the company board by Nik Faisal were “in doubt now”.
“It appears he (Nik Faisal) was not honest himself,” Harvinderjit suggested during cross-examination.
“I do not want to judge,” Ismee replied after a brief pause.
“There was serious fraud committed by Nik Faisal. Do you agree with this?” asked Najib’s lawyer Harviderjit Singh asked further.
“Possible,” Ismee replied.
Ismee then said it was a fair statement to say such acts constituted fraudulent conduct when asked further by Harvinderjit.
During the course of the trial, witnesses have testified that KWAP gave a total of RM4 billion in loans in 2011 and 2012 to SRC International, with money allegedly flowing through other companies before being transferred into Najib’s accounts.
At the time of the first loan application, SRC International was the wholly-owned subsidiary of 1MDB which was owned by the Finance Ministry’s MoF Inc; while SRC International was parked directly under MoF Inc by the time of the second loan application.
Earlier he told the court Nik Faisal had colluded with the company’s former director Datuk Suboh Md Yassin concerning a 2014 transaction of RM140 million that was meant to be invested in South America that was not known to the rest of the board.
Previously Ismee testified that Nik Faisal failed to inform the directors of his firm and its parent, 1MBD, when he applied for a RM3.95 billion loan from KWAP.
He also explained how Nik Faisal had managed to convince board members into believing the company was being governed well under his stewardship, despite doing otherwise.
Citing the lack of transparent reporting by Nik Faisal, Ismee subsequently resigned from SRC International in August 2014.
Ismee is the 39th prosecution witness of Najib’s ongoing trial involving seven charges of abuse of position, criminal breach of trust and money-laundering over RM42 million of SRC International’s funds.
The trial before High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali resumes at 9am tomorrow with Ismee set to resume the stand as a witness for the seventh day.
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