Najib told to file defence in US$1.18 billion suit by SRC

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today ordered former prime minister Najib Razak to file his statement of defence in the US$1.18 billion suit filed by SRC International.

Lawyer Lisa Yong, representing SRC International, said the order was made by judge Ahmad Fairuz Zainol Abidin during online case management.

She said Najib was ordered to file the statement of defence in English today, with the defence statement in Malay to be filed on April 4.

“The court also ordered the plaintiff (SRC International) to file the reply to the defence statement on May 13,” she said when contacted after the case management.

She said the court set May 18 for further case management.

On May 7 last year, SRC International under its new management filed legal action against Najib and its former directors – Suboh Md Yassin, Mohammed Azhar Osman Khairuddin, Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, Che Abdullah @ Rashidi Che Omar, Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi and Ismee Ismail – but later removed the six names from the suit, retaining Najib as the sole defendant.

SRC International as the plaintiff, in the writ of summons, alleged that Najib had abused his power and obtained personal benefits from SRC International funds in addition to misappropriating the funds.

Najib was SRC International’s emeritus adviser from May 1, 2012, until March 4, 2019.

SRC International, which is now wholly owned by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MoF Inc), is seeking general damages, exemplary, additional and interest, costs and other appropriate reliefs deemed fit by the court.