KUALA LUMPUR: Then SRC International Bhd chief executive officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil had deceived the board of directors over the company's efforts to repatriate its funds invested overseas, the company's former director claimed yesterday.
Datuk Suboh Md Yassin, 73, testifying in SRC's suit against Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Nik Faisal, agreed with the suggestion by Najib's lawyer, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, that Nik Faisal did not repatriate the company's funds that were purportedly invested.
Suboh, who was named as a third party in the suit, also agreed with Shafee's suggestion that Nik Faisal, now a fugitive, did this despite making promises to the board of directors to repatriate the funds
He agreed with Shafee's suggestion that there were many elements of crime and forgery involved in the management of the company and that the senior lawyer had proven these matters.
When Shafee suggested that there were "many crooks"
who played a role in the management of SRC, Suboh responded: "Yes."
Another former director named as a third party, Datuk Che Abdullah @ Rashidi Che Omar, in his testimony in May, had said the board of directors was disappointed when the funds could not be repatriated from overseas.
Che Abdullah had said that Nik Faisal informed the board that the funds could be withdrawn at any time and there would be no issues in the future.
SRC, under its new management, filed the suit in May 2021, claiming that Najib had committed breach of trust and power abuse, and had personally benefitted from the company's funds, as well as misappropriated the said funds.
It is 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 Kajang Prison since Aug 23, 2022, after being convicted of misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International funds.