KUALA LUMPUR: The RM1.18 billion civil suit by SRC International Bhd against Datuk Seri Najib Razak and former chief executive Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil was postponed after the former prime minister's lawyer could not attend the proceedings today.
Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who appeared for Najib, today told the court that his son, Muhammad Farhan, who is conducting the case, was absent as his flight from London was cancelled.
"Muhammad Farhan is overseas because of a family emergency.
"Most of the materials for this trial are with him and he is supposed to brief me on specific documents for the cross-examination of Datuk Suboh Md Yassin.
"I propose that the cross-examination be undertaken on June 19," he said before High Court judge Datuk Ahmad Fairuz Zainol Abidin.
Lawyer Datuk Dr. Gurdial Singh Nijar, representing Suboh, the company's former director, requested the court to adjourn the hearing, and the court granted the request.
SRC, under its new management, filed the suit in May 2021, claiming that Najib had committed a breach of trust and power abuse, personally benefitted from the company's funds and misappropriated the said funds.
It is also seeking a court declaration that Najib is responsible for the company's losses due to his breach of duties and trust and for Najib to pay back the RM42 million in losses that it has suffered.
Najib, 70, has been serving a jail sentence at the Kajang Prison since Aug 23, 2022, after being convicted of misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International funds.
He then filed a petition for a royal pardon on Sept 2, 2022, and the Pardons Board on Jan 29 this year reduced Najib's jail term from 12 years to six, with the fine cut to RM50 million from RM210 million.
The trial before judge Datuk Ahmad Fairuz Zainol Abidin continues tomorrow where another former SRC International director, Che Abdullah @ Rashidi Che Omar, is expected to testify.