MACC arrests Arul Kanda
PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) yesterday arrested former 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) chief executive officer Arul Kanda Kandasamy when he came to the MACC headquarters to give a statement, apparently on the alleged alterations in the 1MDB final audit report.
The MACC arrested Arul Kanda at 10.30 am, said his lawyer Datuk N. Sivananthan.
He said he learned that his client will be charged today in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.
“I am made to understand that my client will face one charge under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act,” he said to reporters gathered at the MACC headquarters.
Arul Kanda arrived at the MACC office at about 9.30 am. He also had a baseball cap on and carried a sling bag.
Just before that, former chief secretary to the government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa was seen at the MACC headquarters but it could not be ascertained why he was there.
On Nov 25, Auditor-General Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamad revealed that the final audit report on 1MDB had been tampered with and that former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had knowledge of it.
She also disclosed that two crucial matters dropped from the report were on the presence of wanted businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low at a 1MDB board meeting as well as the financial status of 1MDB.
On the same day, MACC was reported as saying that it will commence an investigation into the alleged report tampering and would call several witnesses to assist the probe.
On Monday, the MACC arrested Najib when he went to the headquarters to give a statement, also apparently over the alleged alterations to the audit report. He was released on an MACC bail. Najib had also given a statement to the MACC on Dec 6, believed to be on the same matter.
The MACC had also called up others to record statements to assist the probe, and they include former auditor-general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang and former MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad. - Bernama