KUALA LUMPUR: The Finance Ministry strategic investment deputy secretary told the High Court here yesterday that she was told to prepare documents for a memorandum to the Cabinet on the government’s guarantee for a RM2 billion loan to SRC International Sdn Bhd.
Afidah Azwa Abdul Aziz, 44, said she was also under
pressure and had doubts about the request to expedite the matter.
Afidah Azwa revealed this matter when cross examined by counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah who is representing Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on the 29th day of the trial of the former Prime Minister who is facing seven charges on SRC funds.
Muhammad Shafee: Madam, you made the statement as if you are not satisfied with the documentation wanted from you. Madam, did you hint it in your written statement over expediting the matter?
Afidah Azwa: Yes.
Muhammad Shafee: If I say the matter is to be expedited but you are not forced to
complete it.
Afidah Azwa: I was
pressured.
Muhammad Shafee: Were there any doubts? Or none. Just told to do? Was there any
suspicion?
Afidah Azwa: In the
beginning, yes.
Muhammad Shafee: Feelings of doubts? Suspicious? Maybe the bad intention of the people requesting?
Afidah Azwa: Felt doubful
Muhammad Shafee: What are the doubts? Doubts about what?
Afidah Azwa : Why the need to expedite.
To a question by Muhammad Shafee on who pressured Afidah Azwa, the witness replied, “Encik Maliami.”
The witness said she asked Maliami why should be matter be hastily expedited and her superior said it was an instruction.
“After receiving the order, I sat down with the SRC representative to prepare the memorandum,” said the witness.
To a question by Muhammad Shafee on whether Afidah Azwa noted down the instruction to
complete the memorandum, the witness said she could not remember.
When asked further on her witness statement in which Afidah Azwa said the SRC representative was not responsive in giving complete information when she has to expedite the memorandum, Afidah Azwa said correct.
The witness however said she told Maliami on the
attitude of the SRC
representative but was ignored.
Muhammad Shafee: You reported your dissatisfaction on your interaction with the company’s representative and Maliami did not take it
seriously, did you accept the
situation?
Afidah Azwa: Yes.
Muhammad Shafee: Apart from Maliami, did you report to others?
Afidah Azwa: I cannot remember.
Muhammad Shafee: Who is Maliami’s boss?
Afidah Azwa: Tan Sri Dr Irwan Serigar.
Muhammad Shafee: Can you see him? If you have a problem, you can see him, right?
Afidah Azwa: Depends.
Muhammad Shafee: But in this situation you did not see him?
Afidah Azwa: No.
Muhammad Shafee later proposed that the witness was only told to expedite
the processing of the memorandum and there was
no question of Afidah Azwa
was pressured but the witness insisted she was pressured.
The counsel also said Afidah Azwa was not pressured negatively and the witness replied, “I was pressured. I worked under duress. I was pressured at that time.”
Najib faces criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of position charges
relating to misap propriation of SRC International Sdn Bhd funds amounting to RM42 million. The trial before Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali is in progress. – Bernama
