KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 — Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah must clarify Putrajaya’s conflicting answers on billionaire Tan Sri T. Ananda Krishnan’s involvement in helping 1 Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) make a RM2 billion loan payment, PKR MPs said today.
On March 14, news portal Malaysiakini reported the Finance Ministry as saying that 1MDB did not receive any loan from Ananda Krishnan to settle the delayed RM2 billion payment.
The news portal cited a parliamentary reply from the ministry to Batu MP Chua Tian Chang, who had asked why the strategic investment firm did not use its fund from the Cayman Islands to pay off its debt.
But yesterday, Husni told Parliament Ananda Krishnan’s Tanjong PLC helped 1MDB secure the cash it needed for a RM2-billion loan instalment in February.
“The minister must explain his contradictory replies. If he fails to do so, we will refer him to the parliamentary rights and privileges committee,” PKR MP Sim Tze Tzin told reporters at a news conference.
Chua, who was also present, said the committee could also verify the matter by contacting Ananda Krishnan and 1MDB CEO Arul Kandasamy.
Earlier last month, 1MDB finally settled a RM2 billion loan payment it owed to local banks, but sources said it needed a loan from Malaysia’s second-richest man Anand Krishnan to do so.
On February 23, 1MDB was reported by the Reuters news service as seeking up to RM3 billion from the Finance Ministry to refinance its debts.
Questions also arose over US$2.32 billion (RM8.53 billion) 1MDB had deposited in offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands, after conflicting statements were issued over its “repatriation” and, later on, “redemption”.
After previously saying it would bring all the funds back to Malaysia, 1MDB said it will not repatriate the US$1.103 billion it redeemed from its Cayman Island investments as it would be used to service the firm’s debt interest payments.
