Ex-SRC director: I was not arrested, only barred from travel

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

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

“I checked with the Immigration Department... only then I saw my travel restrictions. I have never been arrested.

“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, Bernama reported.

Previously, in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd trial before Justive 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 RM4bil fund from the Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) Loan.

Under new management, SRC filed the legal action in May 2021, alleging that Najib had committed breach of trust, abuse of power, misappropriated the company’s funds, and personally benefited from it.

It named Najib along with its former directors – Datuk Suboh Md Yassin, Mohammed Azhar, Nik Faisal, Datuk Che Abdullah @ Rashidi Che Omar, Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi and Tan Sri Ismee Ismail – in May 2021.

However, later, it removed six names from the suit and retained Najib and Nik Faisal as the first and second defendants.

Additionally, Najib has brought the former SRC directors as third-party respondents in the suit.

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

The company is seeking damages, interests, costs and a court declaration that Najib is responsible for the company’s losses due to his breach of duties and trust.

It is demanding that Najib pay back the US$1.18bil in losses suffered.

It is also seeking US$120mil and US$2mil from Najib and Nik Faisal respectively, on account of fraudulent breach of fiduciary duties and breach of trust.

The trial before Justice Ahmad Fairuz Zainol Abidin continues tomorrow.