FORMER SRC International Sdn Bhd director Suboh Md Yassin is expected to be examined in court tomorrow on his claims that he left the country, fearing for his life in the wake of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.

Two weeks ago, the 68-year-old Suboh told the court hearing former prime minister Najib Razak’s SRC International charges, that he fled to Bangkok, Thailand, with his wife after news broke in mid-2015 of financial misappropriation in 1MDB.

“I was fearful about what was happening and of Najib, who was in power as prime minister then. I did not know what would happen to me and my family.”

Najib, who was also finance minister then, had oversight over 1MDB.

SRC International was a government entity, formerly a subsidiary of 1MDB, before ownership was transferred to the Minister of Finance Inc in February 2012. Najib was also adviser emeritus to SRC International.

Tomorrow, defence lawyers are expected to quiz Suboh on the chronology of events.

The cross-examination will also likely focus on his motivation to flee, as well as his claims that former SRC International CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil and Najib were in total control of SRC International.

Suboh had testified that he had a minimal role at SRC International. He said nothing would proceed without the approval of Nik Faisal, whom he described as the “link” to Najib.

He also told the court that Nik Faisal referred to Najib whenever a reference was made to “higher-ups” who wanted major proposals or transactions expedited.

He said when he was director from 2011 to 2015, he was unable to make any decision as all matters were brought to Najib by Nik Faisal.

An example of this, he said, was the board’s decision to expedite a RM250 million grant to Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd, which was appointed on September 3, 2014 to carry out SRC International’s corporate social responsibility programmes.

“I raised questions about company rules and issues relating to compliance because the RM250 million involved the use of SRC International funds.

“But Nik Faisal had allegedly said, ‘It will be taken care of’, and added that the matter had been approved by ‘pihak atas’ (a higher party).

“In my opinion, ‘pihak atas’, as mentioned by Nik Faisal, was a reference to Najib, who was adviser emeritus to SRC International,” he had told the court.

Suboh had also testified he received a phone call from an unidentified officer at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

“He told me not to go to the MACC office as I had planned and directed me to leave Malaysia.”

He said he was advised to leave the country by former SRC International CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, whose whereabouts are still unknown to this day.

In Bangkok, Suboh said he met a Thai man who offered him plane tickets to Abu Dhabi.

He stayed at the Rosewood Hotel in Abu Dhabi for more than a week, with all expenses paid. He later returned to Bangkok, and then, Kuala Lumpur.

In Malaysia, Suboh said he was contacted by Nik Faisal, who again told him to flee to evade the authorities. This happened after the 14th general election in May last year.

Suboh said he chose to remain to “assist enforcement officers”.

He surrendered to MACC in June last year, and has been under witness protection ever since.

Suboh is the prosecution’s 42nd witness. He appeared frail, using a cane, and told the court that he was unwell from a heart condition.

After the May 9 polls, MACC reopened investigations into SRC International, its second after the 2015 probe that was abruptly shut down while Najib was in power.

Najib’s charges in this trial relate to the RM4 billion in loans issued to SRC International in 2011 and 2012, from which he is accused of receiving RM42 million in his personal accounts in 2014 and 2015.

He faces three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money-laundering and one count of abuse of power.

Najib, 66, is represented by a dozen lawyers led by Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

Attorney-General Tommy Thomas leads the prosecution while Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali presides over the trial at the Kuala Lumpur High Court. – June 30, 2019.