16 August 2022
KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 16): Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on Tuesday (Aug 16) was denied more time to file an affidavit in reply to his discovery application with regard to the US$1.18 billion (RM5.27 billion) SRC International Sdn Bhd civil suit against him.
The High Court maintained its previous direction that Najib's lawyers are required to file his affidavit in reply by Tuesday, with the hearing of his discovery application fixed for Sept 9.
Both parties are required to file written submissions by Aug 22 and replies by Aug 29.The case management on Tuesday was presided by deputy registrar Suriani Ujang, while SRC's counsel Lisa Yong of Rosli Dahlan Saravana Partnership and Najib's counsel Wan Mohammad Arfan Wan Othman of Shafee & Co were present.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Federal Court fixed to hear Najib's final appeal against his SRC conviction to begin on Thursday (Aug 18).
SRC is seeking a declaration from the court that Najib is liable to account for the company's losses of US$1.18 billion due to breach of duty and trust.
The amount is said to be from Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP)'s RM4 billion loans that were given to SRC between 2011 and 2012, which were channelled overseas and unrecovered to date.Besides the former premier, former SRC International managing director Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil was also named as a defendant. The company has obtained a judgement in default against Nik Faisal for his non-appearance in the suit.
Nik Faisal still remains at large and his whereabouts are unknown.
The company had previously dropped the other defendants from the civil suit, including its former chairman Tan Sri Ismee Ismail, former directors Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, Datuk Suboh Md Yasin, Datuk Mohammed Azhar Osman Khairuddin, and Datuk Che Abdullah @ Rashidi Che Omar.
Edited by Lam Jian Wyn