PUTRAJAYA, March 10 — The Auditor-General (A-G) promised today that his department will call up any individuals necessary, even Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, in completing an independent audit on strategic fund 1 Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

Tan Sri Ambrin Buang, however, did not specify the deadline for the report to be submitted to the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, only saying it would be finished “as soon as possible” while “balancing speed and accuracy”.

“We’ll do whatever necessary to do this audit. We’ve done this before, it is nothing new to us,” Ambrin told reporters at the National Audit Department.

“We are no strangers to company auditing. Let us do our job quietly, professionally,” he added, when reporters asked for details.

The A-G said that his office will enlist external help from professionals if needed in the probe, which started last week.

“The focus is on the accounts. We’ll look at all accounts, previous accounts included,” Ambrin said.

“Any matters related to asset and liability, we have to study. We want to know how the company is being managed,” he added, saying the department has a “broad mandate”.

Ambrin also said that he had “just” met 1MDB chief Arul Kanda Kandasamy, who pledged his cooperation in the probe.

On March 4, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak ordered the A-G to conduct an independent check of 1MDB’s accounts.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar also announced yesterday that a high-powered team comprising officials from the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the police will investigate all complaints against debt-laden 1MDB.

1MDB has come under heavy fire after a British paper, The Sunday Times in collaboration with whistleblower site Sarawak Report, ran an exposé alleging impropriety in the firm’s venture with oil exploration and production firm PetroSaudi International.

The series of reports cite details purportedly gleaned from thousands of leaked documents and emails involving 1MDB.

Petrosaudi, however, has denied the claim.