THE Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court has allowed the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) to serve a summons to a prosecution witness in Najib Razak’s SRC International Sdn Bhd trial, for failure to declare financial statements for 2017.

Justice Manira Mohd Nor today set October 4 for CCM to serve its summons to former SRC International director Suboh Md Yassin; SRC International CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, who is a fugitive; and Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd, which is a subsidiary of SRC International.

The offences were for failure to submit financial statements for 2017, CCM prosecuting officer Nur Nazhilah Mohammad Hashim informed the court today.

The court was told that previous attempts to serve the summonses had failed and that today’s application was for a new date to serve them again.

The summons, involving an offence under the Companies Act 1965, was not a criminal matter and may result in a fine.

Suboh, the 42nd prosecution witness in the SRC International trial, was not present today.

Nik Faisal, a central figure in the yet-to-be concluded SRC International trial, is believed to be in Indonesia, according to news reports.

Najib’s charges in the 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.

The trial began on April 3 and the prosecution concluded its case on August 27, after calling 57 witnesses. The Kuala Lumpur High Court will decide on November 11 whether Najib will be required to enter his defence.

Should Najib be called to enter his defence, the SRC International trial will continue on December 3, where the defence will call its witnesses.

During the SRC International trial, 68-year-old Suboh said he fled to Bangkok, Thailand, with his wife after news broke in mid-2015 of financial misappropriation in 1MDB.

He then travelled to Abu Dhabi sometime in November 2015, where he was questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. Also questioned at the hotel was Low Taek Jho. – September 20, 2019.