I am not involved in src’s fund transfers — Ex SRC director

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KUALA LUMPUR: Former non-executive director of SRC International Sdn Bhd, Datuk Suboh Md Yassin told the High Court here yesterday that he was not involved in fund transfers from SRC to its two subsidiaries, Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd and Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd.

Suboh, 68, the 42nd prosecution witness admitted this while referring to 13 copies of Real-time Electronic Transfer of Funds and Securities System (RENTAS) forms from the accounts of SRC to Gandingan Mentari and Gandingan Mentari to Ihsan Perdana showed by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s lawyer, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

The banking transaction involved three transactions between SRC to Gandingan Mentari and Ihsan Perdana between 24 Dec 2014 and 6 Feb 2015 with a total of RM42 million.

During his first statement recording session with Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in 2015, Suboh earlier conceded that the signatures were his but later in 2018, during the second and third statement recording by the body, he changed his statement saying that he did not pen any signature to the RENTAS transfer documents.

Although there was a conflict of statements in six statements to the MACC in 2015 and 2018 regarding the significance of his signature in RENTAS’s letter, Suboh finally disclosed that he never issued the signature during cross-examination by Muhammad Shafee on the 31st day of the trial of Najib, who is on trial for seven counts of misappropriation of SRC funds totalling RM42 million.

When asked by Muhammad Shafee as to why his statement changed, Suboh said during the first session he never had the chance to go through the documents thoroughly as he was questioned in Abu Dhabi at that time.

Meanwhile, Suboh testified that his holiday trip to Jakarta, Indonesia in May 2018 was cut short due to a travel ban imposed on him by the government, after checking his immigration status online.

Muhammad Shafee: When did you go to Jakarta?

Suboh: On the election day (9 May 2018) after voting with my wife.

When asked by Muhammad Shafee how did he come to know about the ban, Suboh said he communicated with his son in Malaysia, asking him to have a look at his passport.

He added that this led him to get in touch with the MACC, and subsequently furnish them with a statement on May 28 last year but did not know whether he was placed under witness protection even though he had agreed to assist probes into scandals concerning SRC.

Suboh told the court that he only contacted MACC from Jakarta in late May 2018 to discuss scheduling his return to Malaysia, after the travel ban was imposed.

Muhammad Shafee: What was the nature of the conversation?

Suboh: We were talking about scheduling, what flight should I take?

Muhammad Shafee: You said you called him (MACC officer). What was the purpose?

Suboh: I said I was on vacation and whether it (travel ban) could be lifted.

Muhammad Shafee: Then what did he say?

Suboh: Come back to Malaysia.

Muhammad Shafee: Is there any guarantee of some sort?

Suboh: No.

Muhammad Shafee: Are you sure?

Suboh: Sure.

Muhammad Shafee: Were you given the witness protection?

Suboh: What kind of protection?

Muhammad Shafee: Were you given witness protection?

Suboh: I do not know.

Muhammad Shafee: When you came back, did you request to stay somewhere else?

Suboh: No.

Muhammad Shafee: So you requested to stay at your house?

Suboh: Yes.

Muhammad Shafee: Were you guarded by MACC?

Suboh: I don’t know.

Muhammad Shafee: You don’t know?

Suboh: I stay in a condominium, I have ‘pak guard’ there lah.

Muhammad Shafee: Were you aware if you were being watched by any MACC officer?

Suboh: Not that I know of.

Muhammad Shafee: Did you negotiate for your travel ban to be lifted?

Suboh: No. Until today, I did not negotiate anything.

The trial before Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali continues today. — Bernama