KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 — Despite changes and amendments to the final 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) final audit report, it still contains enough “red flags” and pointers for a criminal investigation to be carried out by the authorities, former Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang told the High Court today.
Investigative and regulatory bodies such as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the police and Bank Negara Malaysia were also given a copy of the report for further investigation after it was tabled in Parliaments’ Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in March 2016 said Ambrin.
“Although there are amendments at the last minute, the final audit report still has integrity and can serve as a basis for conducting criminal investigations by the relevant parties. This is because the 1MDB Audit Report contains many red flags and pointers that show the existence of criminal malfeasance in the company,” he said.
Ambrin is the sixth witness to testify against former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the latter’s joint trial with 1MDB former chief executive Arul Kanda Kandasamy in their alleged role of tampering with the 2016 1MDB audit final report.
Ambrin previously testified that on February 22, 2016, Najib had called him for a meeting together along with chief secretary to the government Tan Sri Ali Hamsa to air his grievances over the findings of 1MDB final audit report.
Then, Ali had arranged another meeting on February 24, 2016, under the instructions of Najib, along with other stakeholders to discuss the 1MDB audit final report.
Among those present during the meeting at the time was Arul Kanda and Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad in his capacity as representative of the Attorney General’s Chambers.
“The effect of the amendments requested by Datuk Seri Najib either directly to me or through Tan Sri Ali Hamsa or Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad in a meeting held between February 22 and 24, 2016, had put me in a difficult position to not carry out the request coming of the Prime Minister,” he said.
The February 22, 2016 meeting was the first of a series of other meetings that resulted in changes to the A-G’s 1MDB report that was later presented to Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.
Earlier today, Ambrin explains that he had agreed to omit that 1MDB has two conflicting financial statements for the year 2014 from the final audit report as Najib had assured him the matter will be investigated by the proper authorities.
