‘RELEASE 1MDB-IPIC DOCUMENTS’
Govt should not ‘hide’ behind OSA, says Najib
DATUK Seri Najib Razak has demanded that the government disclose all documents related to 1Malaysia Development Bhd’s (1MDB) deal with International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) to the public.
The former prime minister said the government should not “hide” behind the Official Secrets Act (OSA), but release the documents that could clear his name from allegations of abuse of funds.
In a Facebook posting on Saturday, Najib said he had been informed that several parties would lodge a police report on the alleged involvement of “international figures” in the 1MDB scandal.
“If the government is sincere in upholding true justice for me, then make public the settlement agreements in 2015 and 2017 in their entirety immediately and do not hide behind the OSA.
“(At the same time), why senior officers in Abu Dhabi are not interrogated since the monies were moved by them? Who else is involved over there?”
He said he had experienced a predicament similar to the current issues faced by the government in its efforts to regain all the alleged lost monies from 1MDB.
He said the cash flow would reveal that each and every transfer of the monies from 1MDB was lost after it was received by the Abu Dhabi-based investment firm’s subsidiary company.
“Several senior officers have been found to have received the monies directly, used the said funds or involved in fraud.
“But it is not easy to just accuse them openly because it will cause a diplomatic incident between the two countries.”
Subsequently, Najib said the Barisan Nasional government had signed two separate agreements in 2015 and 2017 with IPIC to regain the lost monies.
He said in 2015, he himself had negotiated with the Abu Dhabi crown prince, from which 1MDB received an advance of US$1 billion from IPIC.
He said a decision was made to change the deposit paid and bond units to IPIC’s subsidiary, Aabar, in order for them to pay the full principal amount and all interests for the US$3.5 billion (RM14.6 billion) bond guaranteed by IPIC.
“However, after the change in IPIC’s and Aabar’s management, they suddenly told us that they did not receive the assets as payments, in which they claimed the transaction was done to subsidiary not owned by them.
“We were shocked because the payment was verified by the lawyer who reviewed and looked at the agreement, and the international auditor who looked into the account also verified and guaranteed that the payment was made. This has led to a setback to the 2015 agreement and we needed to pay back the US$1 billion advance from IPIC with interests by 2017.”
However, in efforts to preserve diplomatic ties, Najib said the government decided to pursue negotiations that led to the second settlement agreement last year, which included a clause requiring IPIC to pay back the US$3.5 billion to 1MDB before Dec 31, 2020.
“Other than the (2017) settlement agreement, the party from Abu Dhabi has agreed to separately acquire US$2.5 billionworth of bonds from 1MDB, which would be guaranteed by Aabar through two separate documents.
“Now, what has happened to the 2017 agreement? What is the development?”