Ambrin still adamant 1MDB report was not tampered with

KUALA LUMPUR: Former auditor-general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang maintained his stand there was no tampering of 1Malaysia Development Bhd’s (1MDB) audit report.

He told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the document presented to the committee previously was not the final report.

Sources familiar with the ongoing PAC probe said while Ambrin was cooperative, the committee wasn’t thoroughly convinced with his explanation.

“Ambrin has maintained that he had the legal power to make amendments to the draft as long as there was new evidence or revelations to be included.

“He said the report revealed by Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamad was not the final report, and that it is normal to make amendments before it is presented to Parliament, and in this case, presented before the PAC,” one source told The Star.

On Nov 25, Dr Madinah issued a statement which said that some paragraphs mentioning the presence of businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low at a meeting of the 1MDB board of directors were removed from the report.

She also said other changes were made on the financial status of 1MDB.

Sources also said Ambrin was questioned on whether there was any new evidence or revelations that should have been included into the final report.

“When asked if he had the evidence, he couldn’t substantiate it so that is why the PAC wants to recall him and the team that was with him during the preparation of the report,” added another source.

Ambrin was questioned for about five hours yesterday.

It is understood that Ambrin and his team will be called back in January.

Ambrin also denied he was “pressured or influenced” to make the amendments to the report.

Earlier, PAC chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee said the committee is not ruling out possibilities that former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak might be called in for questioning.

Aside from Najib, Dr Kiandee said that former 1MDB president Arul Kanda Kandasamy, former chief secretary to the government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa, former attorney general Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali and former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad will be called in for questioning.

We hope to conclude this (investigation) before the next Parliament session reconvenes, he said.

The next Parliamentary session will be in March, next year.

Dr Madinah is scheduled to appear before PAC today.