PARLIAMENT | Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng will propose an open inquiry to investigate the alleged abuse of the GST Refund Trust Fund that he disclosed yesterday.
He said this in the Dewan Rakyat today, adding that he will suggest it to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad once preliminary internal investigations are completed.
Lim said former Treasury secretary-general Irwan Serigar must be aware that funds meant for the trust fund had been diverted to the Federal Consolidated Fund as revenue, but investigations are still determining to what extent the then finance minister I Najib Abdul Razak and then finance minister II Johari Abdul Ghani were aware or sanctioned it.
He noted that under the Goods and Services Tax Act 2014, finance ministers have the power to order part or all of the money in the GST Refund Trust Fund to be placed in the Federal Consolidated Fund.
“That is what we are doing internally and I intend to propose to the prime minister that we hold an open inquiry led by independent people from outside, who have experience.
“I think this will be a clear-cut investigation because there are records, documentation, paper trail and money trail. The documents are already there, so there is no running away.
“I will propose an open inquiry so that the people will know, can check and find out the truth about the case,” Lim said.
[More to follow] - Mkini
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