KUALA LUMPUR — Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak gave five conflicting explanations in court for how RM42 million from SRC International ended up in his personal bank account, the High Court heard today.

SRC counsel Datuk Lim Chee Wee said it was proven in trial that the funds from SRC International were credited into Najib’s personal account for personal enrichment — with Najib giving five different versions under oath to justify said receipt in court.

Lim said this in his submission at the close of the defendant’s case in SRC International’s US$1.18 billion civil suit against Najib and former SRC chief executive Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, who is currently at large.

Listing the five versions, Lim said Najib had variously:

Denied receiving monies stemming from SRC

Asserted his account was for corporate social responsibility purposes

Claimed he did not manage his account

Claimed the monies were donations

Claimed his account was merely a pass-through entity

“In the context of credibility and tort of misfeasance, the first defendant was confronted with his affidavit in which he confirmed receipt of RM42 million from SRC.

Lim said Najib vaguely stated that the affidavit was “very badly drafted”, then later claimed that the admission was the “allegation at that time”; before suddenly claiming it was his own knowledge but stated he was misled at that time.

“He (Najib) then backtracked and stated that ‘I am not saying I am misled, but that was the information that was given to me.’

“Curiously, when questioned as to who provided this incorrect information, the first defendant could not provide an answer.

Lim said Najib later claimed that he was misled by “media reporting including social media” during his re-examination.

“Even if true, this reflects the grave recklessness for a prime minister to rely on unverified public commentary on social media to justify why RM42 million had entered into his personal account,” Lim said.

Lim also said while SRC International was intended to fulfill its intended public purpose, SRC became the vehicle and victim of large-scale fraud, with Najib as its primary beneficiary.