KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today denied meddling over investigations into 1MDB and its subsidiaries, testifying that he avoided this as he was also being investigated then.
According to a report in Malaysiakini, Najib said this in the High Court hearing SRC International Sdn Bhd’s civil suit against him.
Najib said he knew at the time that 1MDB was under investigation over a global corruption scandal, and was aware of its relationship with SRC International.
“I was also being investigated and they (authorities) came to my office (Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya) to question me.
“When you are being investigated as well, it would not be appropriate for me to go beyond it (call up investigating agencies), otherwise I would be accused of interfering with the investigation, which was at the back of my mind. Hence, I left it to the authorities.
“If you deliberately say something (calling up investigating agencies), it could constitute a crime, an abuse of power, and interference in the investigation,” he was quoted as saying.
Responding to his lawyer Tan Sri Muhd Shafee Abdullah, Najib also denied ever managing the board of SRC International directly or demanding that it execute his instructions.
He said he took it that the board had a fiduciary duty to the firm, and that he did not have the capacity to be directly involved in running the company.
“As you know, when I was, or anybody for that matter, being the prime minister, one's schedule is super busy, dealing with so many matters. Not only that, but you apply your mind to very pressing and quite often complex issues on a daily basis,” he said.
In its lawsuit, SRC International is alleging that Najib had abused his power and obtained personal benefits from its funds as well as misappropriated the funds. Najib was SRC’s Emeritus Adviser from May 1, 2012, until March 4, 2019.
SRC International, which is now wholly owned by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MoF Inc), is seeking general damages, exemplary, additional interest, costs and other appropriate relief provided by the court.
SRC International is currently seeking a declaration from the court that Naijib is liable to account for the company’s losses due to his breach of duties and trust.
The company is also seeking an order that Najib pay the US$1.18 billion in losses it suffered, and damages for breach of duties and trust, including an order that Najib compensate it for US$120 million that entered his bank account as well.
