SRC Trial Day 5: Cashed out cheque details exposed, witnesses testified construction work at Najib’s residence

On the fifth day of SRC trial, Datuk Seri Najib Razak told his supporters that his feet hurt from exercise before entering the court complex.

 

The trial resumed with Bank Negara investigation officer Ahmad Farhan Sharifuddin taking the stand. Previously, Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali approved the defence’s application to obtain documents detailing Jho Low’s conversation about the scandal.

 

Deputy Public Prosecutor Suhaimi Ibrahim dismissed Farhan to provide more time to gather the requested documents. Meanwhile, a fifth witness was summoned to the stand.

 

Badrul Hisam Mohamad, a senior manager at Ambank’s cheque processing centre, was asked to identify cheques from Ambank. Badrul was also asked to confirm if all cheques were cashed out, which he did. The infographic below by Bernama listed all the confirmed cheques.

 

Malaysia, Malaysia Indicator, Najib Razak, SRC International, trial

 

When Suhaimi was done, the defence’s Harvinderjit Singh stepped in to cross-examine Badrul, and requested for images or reports confirming the cheques’ transactions.

 

The defence team tried to disqualify the prosecution’s sixth witness, claiming it was irrelevant and his client was charged with receiving money, not spending it. But Judge Nazlan overruled their application, because Attorney-General Tommy Thomas argued it may show ingredients for money laundering.

 

46-year-old Zulqarnain Mohamad of ABS Trend Master Sdn Bhd was then allowed to testify, claiming he received payment of RM 100,000 on February 2015 for renovating Najib’s Langgak Dua residence.

 

Not long after, a seventh witness was introduced. Mohammad Zakariyya Zearat Khan, 35, works with plumbing and water tanks construction businesses. He testified to working on the same residence and receiving a cheque of RM 56,500 on February 24, 2015.

 

Earlier, the prosecution applied to postpone the trial as they were preoccupied with a meeting the next day. Lead defence counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah made a similar request. Hence, the hearing will resume on Monday (April 22).