Ex-SRC director claims told to sign resolution documents while seeking refuge in Thailand

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 — A former director of SRC International Sdn Bhd was asked to sign a circular resolution to hire Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd as SRC International’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partner even while he was seeking refuge in Bangkok, Thailand.

Datuk Suboh Md Yassin, the 42nd witness in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s SRC International RM42 million trial, told the High Court here today how the documents were delivered to him by a Thai man identified only as Mr Koon back in 2015.

“The documents were given to me while I was in Bangkok, Thailand, after Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil (then-CEO) called me saying he had unfinished business with this CSR project, and these are the documents that need to be completed.

“So I waited because he said he would make all the arrangements, where the next day a Thai man came and brought me the documents to sign, where after I signed them I handed him (the Thai man) the documents. I recognised he used DHL services (to deliver the documents),” he said.

Suboh made the revelation during his examination in chief by Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Ishak Mohd Yusoff, when he was made to verify several directors’ circular resolutions pertaining to the appointment of Gandingan Menteri and Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd as the SRC International's CSR partners.

Suboh also revealed how the documents that were delivered to him already featured the signature of Nik Faisal, requiring only his signature to complete the appointment process of the two companies.

He also conceded that he was not aware if the resolution documents were ever enforced after placing his signature, saying that was taken care of by Nik Faisal.

Suboh had previously testified that in 2015, a man claiming to be a Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) officer had told him to leave the country, as his cooperation in investigations into SRC International was no longer unnecessary.

He had testified how the supposed MACC officer relayed to him that there was no need to have his statements recorded, with the latter then telling him to leave the country, hence Suboh’s decision to seek refuge in Bangkok.

Suboh had said he feared his and his family’s safety at that point in time, saying he chose to leave Malaysia as he was not sure what would happen to him, considering Najib was still in power then.

Today, Suboh also detailed how the same Thai man who delivered the directors’ resolution to him, met him once more after that to hand over flight tickets bound for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“That Thai man, he then called me and handed over to me tickets to go to Abu Dhabi.

“Initially I didn’t know the reason, but after I reached Abu Dhabi, I was brought to the hotel and I only knew it was because I had to be interviewed by MACC over there,” he said, adding that he was not aware of reasons why the statement had to be recorded in the UAE.

Last June, it was reported that Suboh had been granted full witness protection by the MACC when he turned himself in to their officers in Indonesia, after supposedly being on the run for three years.

Reports also noted how Suboh had not cooperated with authorities when he was approached four years ago when Najib was still the prime minister, only having his statement recorded by the MACC after the 14th General Election.

Najib is on trial for seven charges of abuse of position, criminal breach of trust and money-laundering over RM42 million of SRC International’s funds.

During the course of the trial, witnesses have testified that the Retirement Fund (Incorporated) disbursed a total of RM4 billion in loans in 2011 and 2012 to SRC International, with money allegedly flowing through other companies before being transferred into Najib’s accounts.

At the time of the first loan application, SRC International was the wholly-owned subsidiary of 1MDB which was owned by the Finance Ministry’s Minister of Finance Incorporated (MoF Inc); while SRC International was parked directly under MoF Inc by the time of the second loan application.

Najib’s trial resumes in the afternoon before High Court Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.