SRC trial witness: Najib admitted RM42m in SRC funds entered his account in affidavit

SRC trial witness: Najib admitted RM42m in SRC funds entered his account in affidavit


Published 1 hour ago on 29 July 2019

BY KENNETH TEE
Lawyer Ranjit Singh is pictured at the Kuala Lumpur High Court July 29, 2019. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri

KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak previously submitted an affidavit for a 2018 defamation suit that confirmed RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd had entered his bank accounts without his knowledge, the High Court heard today.

The prosecution’s 55th witness, lawyer Ranjit Singh, affirmed this in court after he was asked by the prosecution to tender and verify original copies of the writ of summons and statement of claim related to the lawsuit filed by Najib through his lawyer Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun on October 30, 2015.

Ranjit previously represented former transport minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik after Najib sued the latter over allegedly defamatory statements he made during a ceremony at University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR).

He said Najib admitted in a sworn affidavit that US$700 million (RM2.8 billion) — purportedly part of a donation — had entered his personal bank accounts along with RM42 million from SRC International without him knowing it was channeled through two intermediaries: Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd and Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd.


“Datuk Seri Najib conceded that US$700 million did enter his accounts, although he asserts it as personal donation.

“He also conceded RM42million had entered his accounts but has no knowledge of it and was done through two intermediaries between December 2014 and February 2015,” Ranjit said.

The admission was made through an affidavit in reply to Dr Ling’s counterclaim against Najib dated February 23, 2016.

Earlier during a reading of Dr Ling’s counterclaim, Ranjit said the transfer of RM42 million via two intermediaries into Najib’s private accounts had caused public perception that dishonesty was involved and that Najib was unfit to be prime minister.

On May 22, 2018, Najib withdrew the lawsuit against Dr Ling without the liberty to refile and was also ordered to pay Dr Ling RM25,000 in costs as part of the withdrawal.

According to Najib’s lawyer Mohd Hafarizam, he had advised his client to drop the suit following a change in the political landscape of the country and there were other more important matters to attend to.

During his turn to examine the witness, chief defence lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah argued that the evidence submitted today was irrelevant for purpose of showing prima facie.

Defence lawyer Harvinderjit Singh then directed Ranjit to read out the entirety of Dr Ling’s comment in relation to Najib being unfit to be prime minister.

“Dia ambil orang punya duit dan taruk dalam personal account. Mana boleh (He took people’s money and put it in his account. How is this acceptable?),” Ranjit read from the transcript in Bahasa Melayu to the court.

Asked whether he was approached by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for the purpose of the trial, Ranjit said he was not but was instead subpoenaed by the prosecution.

“If I recall, it was Datuk Sithambaram who told me I may be called to testify,” he said referring Datuk V. Sithambaram who was ad hoc prosecutor.

Najib, who is also Pekan MP, is currently on trial for alleged abuse of position, money-laundering and criminal breach of trust over RM42 million of funds from SRC International, which is a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).