SUBOH Md Yassin today told the court he was first interviewed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) while he was hiding out on an all-expense paid trip in Abu Dhabi in 2015.

The former SRC International non-executive director fled the country after news of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal broke out in mid-2015. He had initially gone to Bangkok with his wife.

Suboh testified two weeks ago that he was urged to leave the country via phone calls from an unidentified officer from the MACC and former SRC International CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil. 

During examination by the prosecution today, Suboh said he was approached by a Thai national in Bangkok, who asked him to sign a directors’ circular resolution, dated November 24, 2015.

The resolution was to ratify the appointment of Ihsan Perdana as the corporate social responsibility partner of SRC International. 

The Thai national, identified as Kun, said he represented Nik Faisal and that the document was couriered via DHL.

Kun then provided flight tickets to Abu Dhabi after a month’s stay in Bangkok. Suboh and his wife stayed for more than a week at the Rosewood Hotel in Abu Dhabi. 

Suboh told the court today that upon arrival in Abu Dhabi, he was taken to a hotel where he was told he would be interviewed by “MACC people”.

He said he did not know why the MACC questioned him in Abu Dhabi instead in Kuala Lumpur.

Suboh returned to Kuala Lumpur and received a call from Nik Faisal after the 14th general election last year, telling him to leave the country.

He did not know why Nik Faisal asked him to leave the country, but he told Nik Faisal that he would stay to help investigators.

Suboh said Nik Faisal had called him from an overseas number, most likely from China, when pressed further by deputy public prosecutor Ishak Mohd Yusoff.

The 68-year-old Suboh told the court two weeks ago that he was so afraid after news of the scandal broke that he fled to Bangkok, Thailand, with his wife.

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

During cross-examination by lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah today, Suboh said he was questioned by the MACC five times – once in 2015 and four times after the May 9 general election last year. 

Najib’s charges are linked to RM4 billion in loans issued to SRC International in 2011 and 2012, for 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 Shafee.

Attorney-General Tommy Thomas leads the prosecution while Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali is the sitting judge in the case heard in the Kuala Lumpur High Court. – July 1, 2019.