KUALA LUMPUR (May 18): Two lawsuits filed by SRC International Sdn Bhd and two of its subsidiaries' against Umno — specifically central Umno and Umno Selangor — to recover from the political party funds totalling RM19.5 million that were allegedly siphoned from SRC, have been fixed to be heard together for 10 days starting Oct 18 next year.
This was decided following case management before High Court Judicial Commissioner Datuk Raja Ahmad Mohzannuddin Shah Raja Mohzan on Thursday (May 18).
Raja Ahmad fixed Oct 18 to 22, and Nov 25 to 29, 2024, as the hearing dates for both suits. He also fixed Aug 3 for another case management.
This was confirmed by the lawyers of SRC International and its two subsidiaries — Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd and Jaringan Mentari Sdn Bhd — Razlan Hadri Zulkifli and Chai Tze Jing when contacted by The Edge.
Mohd Shahril Madisa appeared for central Umno or Umno Malaysia, while Muzzammil Merican and Alya Adlyna appeared for Umno Selangor.
SRC International and its subsidiaries filed the two suits in May 2021. The suits are part of the 22 lawsuits filed by 1MDB and SRC International against several parties that year in their recovery exercise.
The first is to recover RM16 million that was allegedly transferred to central Umno by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak when he was Umno president. SRC and its subsidiaries claimed that central Umno knew, or ought to have known, that the money belonged to SRC and that central Umno had no basis to receive the funds.
The second is to recover RM3.5 million from Umno Selangor, a sum which they claimed had been wrongfully received by the party.
In August 2021, central Umno filed an application to strike out the suit, claiming SRC International and its subsidiaries had filed the legal action outside the statute of limitation, which is six years from the date of the alleged action or wrongful act. This application was dismissed by the High Court, which resulted in the case going to trial.
Umno Selangor also tried to strike out the suit but later withdrew its bid.
Suit against Ihsan Perdana
Separately, Raja Ahmad also fixed a 12-day trial that will start on Oct 1, 2024 to hear the suit SRC International and its two subsidiaries' initiated against Datuk Dr Shamsul Anwar Sulaiman, Datuk Abdul Aziz Ismail and Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd (IPSB) to recover RM167 million.
The sum comprises RM123 million that SRC International provided as a grant to IPSB between December 2014-April 2015, and a sum of RM44 million that SRC and its subsidiaries gave the company — purportedly for CSR purposes — between April 2015-July 2015. At the time of the alleged incidents, Shamsul Anwar was IPSB's managing director and Abdul Aziz its director.
Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, the former MD of SRC International, who has left the country and is still at large was also named as part of the suit. SRC and the subsidiaries have obtained a judgement in default against him.
SRC International counsel Kwan Will Sen, who appeared for SRC International with Lee Suan Cui, confirmed the outcome of Thursday's proceedings with The Edge. Datuk Tan Hock Chuan and Michelle Lai Mei See appeared for Shamsul Anwar and Abdul Aziz.
Raja Ahmad also fixed Aug 3 for case management.