KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak testified in the High Court on Wednesday (Oct 9) that the US$120mil credited into his personal account through three transactions was not his personal income.
The 71-year-old former prime minister clarified that the funds were not sourced from SRC International Sdn Bhd or Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP).
Najib, acting as the first defendant, made this assertion during cross-examination by SRC International’s lawyer Datuk Lim Chee Wee in the US$1.18bil civil suit against him and former SRC CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, who remains at large.
Lim questioned Najib about the source of the US$120mil: “Datuk Seri, your annual salary at its highest was RM1mil, yet US$120 million was credited into your personal account. This amount was not your personal income, correct?”
Najib replied, “I never said it was.”
When asked whether he had instructed the police, Bank Negara Malaysia, or the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate SRC International’s account frozen by Swiss authorities, Najib stated, “No instruction on the particular account, but I told the company’s management to bring back the money.”
Regarding the provision of an investigative report related to the frozen account, Najib said, “I expected them to give it to me as it was important for them to provide it.”
In May 2021, under new management, SRC filed a lawsuit against Najib, accusing him of breach of trust, abuse of power, and personal gain from misappropriated company funds.
Although SRC International removed five directors from the lawsuit, Najib remains the sole defendant, with the High Court allowing him to issue third-party notices against them.
The company seeks a court declaration holding Najib accountable for the company’s losses due to his alleged breaches of duty and trust, seeking compensation for RM42mil in losses incurred.
The trial, presided over by Judge Ahmad Fairuz Zainol Abidin, continues Thursday (Oct 9). – Bernama
