Irwan tight-lipped after grilling by Elders

Former Treasury head spends more than two hours being questioned by prime minister's advisers about scandal-ridden government company.

VIDEO INSIDE

Irwan Serigar, chairman of 1MDB, was questioned a day after the Auditor-General’s report was made public.

KUALA LUMPUR: Irwan Serigar, chairman of scandal-ridden 1MDB, was tight-lipped after spending more than two hours being questioned by the prime minister’s advisory Council of Elders today.

He refused to entertain questions from journalists, and merely said: “Ask the council.”

Irwan’s appointment with the council comes two days after he was removed as head of the Treasury (finance ministry) and a day after the Auditor-General’s report into the troubled company was declassified and made public.

The Council of Elders, which advises the prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, is led by former finance minister Daim Zainuddin, and comprises former Petronas president Hassan Merican, former Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz, economist KS Jomo and billionaire tycoon Robert Kuok.

It has opened inquiries into the controversial government investment company, which has been accused of allowing corruption and money-laundering involving billions.

Irwan was appointed chairman of the company in May last year in a government shake-up of the company, which is owned by the Ministry of Finance. On Monday, he was removed from the Treasury and transferred to the Public Services Department for the next 30 days, and his contract at the department was also shortened, to end on June 14. -FMT