PAC to summon Arul Kanda, Ali Hamsa
KUALA LUMPUR: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will summon former 1Malaysia Development Bhd chief executive officer Arul Kanda Kandasamy and former chief secretary to the government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa to testify on the alleged tampering of the Auditor General’s Report on 1MDB discrepancies.
PAC chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee also did not rule out that former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would be summoned before the committee to testify on his knowledge on the matter.
Also likely to be quizzed are former attorney-general Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali and former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Tan Sri Dr Dzulkifli Ahmad.
This development follows the revelation of “new information” on the alleged tampering, following a meeting between Kiandee and former auditor general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang that was held for more than two hours at the Parliament building yesterday.
Kiandee declined to reveal the details of the new information.
“Yes, we received new information from Ambrin’s perspective. He was the auditor general who audited 1MDB.
“That is why we received a host of new information. There are many more questions that will need to be asked.
“So it is likely that we will call Ambrin again, as well as his team (involved in the auditing).”
“The meeting touched on whether the report was tampered.
“We did not go into the details of investigations into 1MDB.”
Asked if Ambrin mentioned the alleged instructions by Najib to amend or tamper with the report, Kiandee said he could not disclose what was conveyed in the meeting.
“I cannot reveal that. If the PAC meeting is to be broadcast live, then you’ll know the (structure of the) proceedings.
“There were many areas of explanations by Ambrin, but we cannot reveal them.
“We will summon Arul (Kanda) and the former chief secretary to the government (Ali).”
To a question on whether Najib would be called, Kiandee said: “I do not rule out that possibility.”
He said Ali and Arul Kanda might be summoned between next month and February.
When pressed further, Kiandee said the information from Ambrin had necessitated that the latter be summoned again.
On whether the information included alleged instructions to amend or tamper with the report, Kiandee said: “I cannot (tell you that). You need to check with Ambrin.”
Kiandee said Ambrin gave “five to six” names of those who were part of his audit team.
He said proceedings on the alleged tampering would carry on well into the following year, and the findings would be submitted to Parliament.
Ambrin, when met after the meeting, declined to make any comments.
“No comment. Ask the (PAC) chairman,” Ambrin said before rushing to the nearest exit.