All but one 1MDB report destroyed so Salwani could keep it - Ambrin

AUDIT TAMPERING TRIAL | Former auditor-general Ambrin Buang told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that he had instructed for the destruction of all but one copy of the original audit report on 1MDB.

He said the single spared copy was so his officer Nor Salwani Muhammad, who was the coordinator for the report, could keep it.

He said the original report, of which 60 copies were printed, was no longer usable as then 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy had wanted changes made.

"After the discussion with Arul, the audit team requested my permission about the changes that can be made based on the justifications that were scrutinised.

"Therefore, the National Audit Department's (NAD) 1MDB audit report which was already printed could no longer be used due to the changes.

"I instructed all 1MDB audit reports which were already printed to be destroyed (dilupuskan) except one for Nor Salwani's keeping," he said while under cross-examination by DPP Rozaliana Zakaria in former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak and Arul's audit tampering trial.

Nor Salwani Muhammad

Ambrin maintained that he had the authority to make such a decision even though the document was protected under the Official Secrets Act 1972.

"I received certification under the law. Under OSA regulations, you must get certification to handle OSA documents. So I can handle, keep and whatnot for internal use," he said.

The sole copy of the original 1MDB report which was not destroyed has become key evidence in the trial.

Ambrin said the changes to the audit report based on Arul's feedback were done following two previous meetings, one with Najib on Feb 22, 2016 and another on Feb 24, 2016 with the then chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa and several other top government officials.

"The meeting (on Feb 24) pressured the NAD to consider hearing or accepting the feedback given by the 1MDB management even though a long period of time was already given to them to do so," he said.

He said the original audit report did not contain 1MDB's feedback as the company never responded to requests for feedback.

During the meeting, those present were Ali, Arul (photo), Ali's senior private secretary Norazman Ayob, Dzulkifli Ahmad who represented the Attorney-General's Chambers, then-Treasury deputy secretary-general Isa Hussain, Finance Ministry representative Asri Hamidon, and Najib's private secretary Shukry Mohd Salleh.

Dzulkifli would go on to become the MACC chief five months later.

Ambrin, who was summoned by Ali said he had brought the entire 1MDB audit team to the meeting at Ali's office but only two people - Ambrin and Saadatul Nafisah - were allowed in.

"Other members of the 1MDB audit team were made to wait outside the meeting room with their documents and work papers," he said.

Ambrin, who was later examined by lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram, also defended Salwani's move to plant a voice recorder in Saadatul's pencil box because she was not allowed to enter the meeting.

Gopal had asked Ambrin if this was a breach of code of conduct, to which Ambrin said it was to help Salwani, who was the audit coordinator, to take down notes as she was not allowed in.

"She would not have breached it as she could then take down notes - for internal use (of the NAD)," he said.

Najib is accused of using his position to gain protection from civil disciplinary action by tampering with the final 1MDB audit report.

He was charged under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act 2009 which carries a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of at least five times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever higher. - Mkini