Witness says told to rush SRC’s guarantee for RM2b loan since it was ‘PM’s company’
A government official testified that she was informed by her superior to expedite the preparation of an internal memo over the granting of the first government guarantee for SRC International’s Sdn Bhd’s first RM2 billion loan as it was the “prime minister’s company”, the High Court heard today.
(MMO) – During re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Suhaimi Ibrahim, the prosecution’s 41st witness Afidah Azwa Abdul Aziz made the startling revelation when asked to clarify what she meant in her witness testimony.
Afidah — the strategic investment department deputy secretary in the Finance Ministry — previously testified that she was instructed to prepare the internal memo and a Cabinet memorandum on the same day to be included for the Cabinet’s consideration on August 15, 2011.
She said that she had confronted her former superior Maliami Hamad on the need to expedite the preparation of an internal memo for the Cabinet’s deliberation over the granting of the first government guarantee for SRC International.
Suhaimi: Did you ask your superior? What was the answer?
Afidah: It is an instruction from the higher ups.
Suhaimi: Was there any followed up questions?
Afidah Azwa: I asked why the need to rush. He answered this was the PM’s company.
