Did Src S Board Take Government To Mean Pm

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NAJIB TRIAL | Najib Abdul Razak's defence team clashed with former SRC International chairperson Ismee Ismail (above) over whether the company's board of directors conflated the term "prime minister" with "government"
The war of words between the 39th witness and defence counsel Harvinderjit Singh transpired when the lawyer referred Ismee to Paragraph 22 of his witness statement recorded by the MACC
Ismee's witness statement had revealed that SRC International CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil was the "link" between the company and its advisor emeritus, which was also then-prime minister Najib
At the time, Najib was also finance minister and hence the head of Minister of Finance Incorporated (MOF Inc), which was ultimately the owner of SRC International
Paragraph 22 saw Ismee equating the word "government" to "Najib" and that Nik Faisal had often sought instructions from the "government"
During cross-examination by Harvinderjit Singh, which has now entered its sixth day, the lawyer suggested that Najib could not have been the sole person to decide on whether Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP) should grant a second RM2 billion loan to SRC International in 2012
This occurred when Harvinderjit questioned Ismee over the correspondences between Nik Faisal and MOF Inc in the lead up to KWAP's decision to agree to the loan
Harvinderjit: Would you agree in regard to confirming the commitment of RM2 billion from KWAP and utilisation of the RM2 billion should be approved by MOF Inc
Ismee: It should be
Harvinderjit: On 14 Feb (2012), all the approval from MOF Inc was coming through a department of MOF Inc. This is implied
Ismee: Yes
Harvinderjit: Therefore, if Nik Faisal were to say these were decisions by the government, he was suggesting that it was a decision on a governmental level, not by Najib
Ismee: At that point in time, as far as the (SRC International) directors were concerned, it was a decision by PM (Najib)
The witness, however, agreed that the loan approval process would require input from MOF Inc. Harvinderjit (above): That is my point. You made a broad statement in your witness statement. Discussion (involved) Nik Faisal with the government, agreement with Najib... You mentioned Najib, but Nik Faisal was referring to the government
Ismee: In my state of mind, yes
Harvinderjit: Was that during the board meeting
Ismee: Somewhere during and after the board meeting
Harvinderjit: If he (Nik Faisal) is the link with the prime minister (Najib), why you do not just use the word PM
Ismee: I used the word PM
Harvinderjit: Then you cannot say government. When you raised the issue of governance, did you refer to the minutes (of SRC International board meetings)
Ismee: Yes
Harvinderjit: Najib is not the government, he is just the prime minister and finance minister
Ismee: He is prime minister
Harvinderjit: Nik Faisal used the word "government" in the context of government to government, not one man (Najib). There must be EPU (Economic Planning Unit) dealing with this, the whole machinery
Government guarantee cannot come about until the cabinet approves it first, and there are many ministers in the cabinet
The government macro decision represented to you cannot be tied to just the prime minister (Najib)
Ismee: Yes
Cross-examination of Ismee would resume tomorrow before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.Harvinderjit told the court that he had a few more questions for Ismee before handing over the cross-examination to lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah. -Mkini

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