‘I did not pressure Ambrin’
Ali Hamsa denies threatening AG to amend 1MDB report, court told
KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa has denied ever threatening or pressuring for the audit report on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) to be amended, the High Court heard.
The former Chief Secretary to the Government said he and former 1MDB chief executive officer Arul Kanda Kandasamy had never threatened then Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang, whom he said he had known for almost 40 years, to amend the report.
The witness said this during cross-examination yesterday by counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah in the joint trial of Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Arul Kanda, dubbed the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) trial.
Shafee: Did you, Arul, or anyone there, threaten Ambrin to amend the report pertaining to 1MDB? This seems to be the cornerstone of our case.
Ali: There was no threat. I did not pressure Ambrin to amend or tamper with it.
Ali said a meeting he called for on Feb 24, 2016, on Najib’s instruction, took place in a cordial manner.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the National Audit Department, the Attorney General’s Chambers and 1MDB to discuss amendments to the draft report.
The witness said the meeting had agreed to remove four items from the draft, namely two conflicting 1MDB financial statements in 2014; 1MDB’s agreement with Country Groups Securities Thailand; fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho’s name in one of the board’s meetings; and an issue related to the issuance of Islamic Medium Term Notes.
To another question, Ali said after the meeting, Ambrin appeared normal and not upset as he walked him to the door.
The court had heard from another witness, audit director Nor Salwani Muhammad, that her boss Ambrin appeared upset after the meeting with what had transpired during the discussion.
Shafee also asked Ali about Nor Salwani’s action in discreetly placing a recorder in a pencil case during the Feb 26 meeting.
The witness said nobody had asked his permission to record the meeting’s discussion.
“At that time, no one in the room knew there was a recorder. It would be unethical,” he said.
Najib is accused of using his position to order amendments to the 1MDB final audit report before it was tabled to the PAC to avoid any action against him.
He allegedly committed the offence in Putrajaya between Feb 22 and 26, 2016. Arul Kanda was charged with abetting Najib at the same place and time.
The hearing before Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan continues today.