Barred from overseas travel but not detained - SRC former director

KUALA LUMPUR - SRC International Sdn Bhd’s former director Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi today told the High Court here that he was not arrested over the company’s transactions but was barred from travelling overseas.

Shahrol Azral, 54, who is testifying as a third party in the SRC International’s US$1.18 billion civil suit against Datuk Seri Najib Razak and its former chief executive officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, said in fact, his passport had never been impounded by the immigration.

"I checked with the immigration ... then only I saw my name under travel restrictions. I have never been arrested. Actually, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission took my statements in 2015 but I was not detained," he said when queried by the former premier’s counsel Harvinderjit Singh.

Previously, in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad trial before Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, Shahrol Azral testified that overseas travel restrictions were only placed on him from July 2018 until early 2020.

Meanwhile, in his witness statement, Shahrol Azral made it clear that he was never charged with any offence pertaining to the loss and damage suffered by SRC International in respect of the misappropriation of the RM4 billion fund from the Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) Loan.

SRC, under its new management, filed the suit in May 2021, claiming that Najib had committed a breach of trust and power abuse, personally benefited from the company’s funds, and misappropriated the said funds.

It is also seeking a court declaration that Najib is responsible for the company's losses due to his breach of duties and trust and for Najib to pay back the RM42 million in losses that they have suffered.

Najib, 70, has been serving a jail sentence at the Kajang Prison since Aug 23, 2022, after being convicted of misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International funds.

He then filed a petition for a royal pardon on Sept 2, 2022, and the Pardons Board on Jan 29 this year reduced Najib’s jail term from 12 years to six, with the fine cut to RM50 million from RM210 million.

The trial before Judge Datuk Ahmad Fairuz Zainol Abidin continues on Wednesday. - BERNAMA