KUALA LUMPUR: SRC International Sdn Bhd’s board of directors had never questioned nor verified whether its chief executive officer (CEO) Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil was indeed the company’s sole ‘link’ with former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Former board member and 39th prosecution witness in Najib’s trial, Tan Sri Ismee Ismail, 54, said, under cross examination by counsel Harvinderjit Singh yesterday that during his tenure in the company, there was never any meeting between the directors and the accused who was the adviser emeritus of SRC.
Harvinderjit: I want your state of mind, you thought you were following the prime minister as Minister of Finance Incorporated or adviser emeritus?
Ismee: Prime Minister as the adviser emeritus.
Harvinderjit: There was actually no meeting between adviser emeritus and the board of directors?
Ismee: No.
Harvinderjit: There was no time when you were in the SRC, the board sat to seek advice from the adviser emeritus?
Ismee: No.
On whether it was formally resolved that Nik Faisal should be the company’s sole link to adviser emeritus Najib, the witness replied, “No”.
Harvinderjit: So it was all orally said of Nik Faisal? Ismee: Yes.
Harvinderjit: So to say that Najib had control of the entire company contradicts with the clause in SRC International’s Memorandum of Association.
Ismee: Yes.
Earlier, during morning proceedings, the court heard that Najib as finance minister at the time and the head of Minister of Finance Inc, was appointed as SRC International’s adviser emeritus.
Harvinderjit: Whether Nik Faisal had any discussion with Najib as adviser emeritus (of SRC International), the board never wrote at any one time for verification?
Ismee: No.
Harvinderjit: Was it because it sounded impressive the board just accepted whatever Nik Faisal said? It did not sound like gibberish and it sounded right?
Ismee: Yes.
Najib, 66, faces three counts of criminal breach of trust, one charge of power abuse and three counts of money laundering involving SRC International Sdn Bhd funds totalling RM42 million.
The trial which entered its 22nd day and presided by High Court Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali continues today. — Bernama