KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak reiterated that he never meddled in the investigations into the global financial scandal involving 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and its former subsidiary, SRC International Bhd.
The former prime minister expressed his concern about both companies being under the scrutiny of authorities but said it would not have been appropriate for him to request updates on the status of the investigation.
Najib said this was due to the fact that he was also under investigation for the same issue at the time.
"I was also being investigated, I know that because they came to my office to question me, so when you are being investigated as well, I could be accused of interfering with the investigation, which was at the back of my mind, so I left it to the investigation.
"If you inadvertently or deliberately say something, then it could constitute a crime," he said this when testifying in a US$1.18 billion civil lawsuit filed by SRC International against him and the company's former chief executive officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, who is still at large.
A special task force comprising officers from the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC), the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), police, and Bank Negara Malaysia began their probe over the financial scandal in July 2015.
The 71-year-old said filing another police report would have been redundant, as the 1MDB and SRC scandals were already making national headlines in 2015 and an investigation was already in progress.
SRC International, under its new management, filed the suit in May 2021, claiming that Najib committed a breach of trust and abuse of power.
The company also alleged Najib misappropriated company funds and benefited from it.
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 it suffered.
The trial before Judge Datuk Ahmad Fairuz Zainol Abidin continues.
Najib Razak , 1MDB, SRC International, status, scandal, updates, investigation, NST, news, Malaysia, Malaysia news