Najib-SRC-Trial: Husni Ended Up Damaging His Own Credibility

In his vengeful desire to damage former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, former Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah ended up embarrassing himself and damaging his own credibility instead.

Last Tuesday he testified at the on-going Najib’s-SRC trial that he was “treated like an office boy” on matters related to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and SRC International Sdn Bhd.

He claimed that he was not well informed about the goings-on in two companies.

He claimed that Najib, also the ex-Finance Minister I, had told him not to interfere in 1MDB and SRC International matters when Husni had a private conversation with his former boss in 2009.

Today, Thursday, August 8, 2019, he claimed that he lied in his 2016 media statements over his resignation from Najib’s Cabinet presumably to avoid damaging the former premier’s reputation vis-a-vis 1MDB.

Driven by his dark desire to taint Najib in the courtroom at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, Husni however, has somehow managed to undermine his own credentials.

By claiming that he had lied, the 56th prosecution witness Husni had now exposed himself as an unreliable witness without any credibility.

Whether a liar’s testimony is accepted in the court of law remains to be seen.

His “office boy” claim was also shattered to pieces by the defence during cross-examination.

Husni was muted when he was reminded that SRC International was not even established as a subsidiary of 1MDB in 2009.

The defence took Husni down memory lane by refreshing his memory on his direct active involvement in SRC International matters via several processes.

First, Husni was the signatory for the government guarantee in 2011 for SRC International to secure the first loan of RM2 billion from Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP).

Second, Husni received and minuted his endorsement on an internal memo from the Finance Ministry’s Treasury Department deputy chief secretary Tan Sri Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah on a separate government guarantee for SRC International to secure a second RM2 billion loan from KWAP in 2012.

Third, Husni tabled the Cabinet papers at the ministerial meeting in 2015 on a proposed RM150 million government loan to assist SRC International to repay its KWAP loan.

Instead of giving proper clarifications on his involvement, Husni replied: “Just because I signed doesn’t mean I am involved (in 1MDB and SRC matters).”

To a question by the defence, the former minister said that he would never read, let alone scrutinise, Cabinet papers submitted to him if he was not tabling the documents in its meetings.

“I only read Cabinet papers that I table.”

The testimony exposed Husni as an irresponsible minister who had shirked his ministerial duties.

Between 2011 and 2015, Husni had all the chance to express his dissatisfaction over 1MDB and SRC International during several Cabinet meetings held to deliberate matters about the companies.

However, not a single Cabinet minute had recorded his dissatisfaction.

When asked about this, the former five-term Tambun MP claimed that he had two options – either raise it in the Cabinet or to Najib privately.

“I chose to talk to Najib personally,” he testified before Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.

Pekan MP Najib currently faces seven corruption charges pertaining to SRC International funds.

The charges were 3 each for CBT under Section 409 of the Penal Code and money laundering under Section 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities (AMLA) Act 2001, and 1 for abuse of power under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act (MACC) 2009.

Najib was charged with committing the offences at AmIslamic Bank Bhd in Jalan Raja Chulan and the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya between Aug 17, 2011, and Feb 10, 2015.

Facebook Comments

Latest articles

Related articles