Kuala lumpur: Former 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi told the High Court today he has no idea why the company dropped him from its USD5.64 billion civil suit.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the 56-year-old, who is testifying as the fourth plaintiff witness, stated that he did not strike any deal with the government to be removed from the suit and was not given any explanation for the decision. This revelation came during cross-examination by lawyer G.K. Ganesan, representing former 1MDB investment director Kelvin Tan Kay Jin, the seventh defendant in the suit.
When questioned by Ganesan if he was originally sued in this action, Shahrol Azral confirmed it. However, when asked if his name was later removed from the suit, he admitted he had no idea why. Shahrol Azral also confirmed that he had not signed any consent judgment with 1MDB after being removed as a defendant.
Shahrol Azral denied suggestions by Nur Syafinaz Vani Abdullah, the lawyer for the fifth defendant, former director of investments and chief investment officer Vincent Beng Huat Koh, that he was attempting to shift blame to others while clearing himself in the multibillion-ringgit sovereign wealth fund scandal.
Earlier, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's counsel, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, informed the court that the defense would need four days to cross-examine Shahrol Azral. Other lawyers representing the remaining defendants indicated they would each require at least two hours for cross-examination.
The court proceeded with Shahrol Azral's cross-examination by counsel for the other defendants. 1MDB and its subsidiaries-1MDB Energy Holdings Limited, 1MDB Energy Limited, 1MDB Energy (Langat) Limited, and Global Diversified Investment Company Limited, formerly known as 1MDB Global Investments Limited-filed the civil suit on May 7, 2021.
They named former prime minister Najib, 1MDB's former finance director Terrence Geh Choh Heng, former executive director Casey Tang Keng Chee, former general counsel Jasmine Loo Ai Swan, Vincent Beng, former chief financial officer Radhi Mohamad, Kelvin Tan, and former chief investment officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil as defendants. Last week, 1MDB dropped its civil suit against Radhi, with no liberty to refile. The company had previously removed Jasmine from the case as well.
The writ of summons stated that the plaintiffs, among other things, accused the defendants of breach of trust, breach of statutory duty, abuse of power, and conspiracy to misappropriate 1MDB funds. The trial before Judicial Commissioner Mohamad Redzuan Idrus resumes tomorrow.