MACC: We have more powers than PAC to probe 1MDB audit tampering

MACC chief commissioner Shukri Abdull says the PAC has no prosecutorial powers.

BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) says it should investigate the alleged tampering of the 1MDB audit report, instead of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which it says has no prosecutorial powers.

MACC chief commissioner Shukri Abdull also said a probe by PAC would be duplicative in nature and could not produce concrete results.

“It is better to leave MACC to investigate and wait for the court charge and decision. Eventually, I feel the PAC’s findings would be similar to our findings as well,” Shukri told reporters here today.

“PAC has no prosecutorial powers, while MACC’s probe is based on our powers to prosecute,” he said.

Yesterday, police arrested former prime minister Najib Razak and former 1MDB executive director Arul Kanda Kandasamy, as part of a probe over an alleged tampering with the sovereign fund’s audit report.

Both are expected to be charged at the Sessions Court tomorrow.

Najib is expected to be charged with abuse of power for allegedly ordering the 1MDB report to be amended, while Arul will be charged with abetting the offence.

Najib is already facing 38 charges related to 1MDB.

Meanwhile, Shukri said MACC was still considering whether to launch a probe into Tabung Haji.

“If there are relevant crimes committed under the MACC Act, we will investigate.

“As of now, we are still going through information to see if we can investigate it or not,” Shukri said.

The Auditor-General’s (A-G) report last year revealed that TH had failed to record an asset impairment of RM227.81 million in three subsidiary companies and three associate companies, especially its investment in associate company TH Heavy Engineering Bhd amounting to RM164.58 million.

The report added that TH’s policy on reporting the impairment of assets was inconsistent.

Earlier today, former TH chairman Abdul Azeez Raheem dismissed a new audit report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) on the pilgrim management fund’s financial position for 2017, saying it failed to take into account its subsidiaries’ current value. -FMT