Najib worried 1MDB audit report ‘spun politically’ - Arul Kanda

 

Arul Kanda Kandasamy testified that the original copy of the 1MDB audit report would have been sent to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) if not for a meeting on Feb 24, 2016.

The former 1MDB CEO also told the court today that former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak was concerned with the audit report on the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund being ‘spun politically’.

The co-accused was giving oral evidence at the Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning in the 1MDB audit report trial against him as well as former finance minister Najib.

The prosecution is contending that a decision to amend the 1MDB audit report was made during the 2016 meeting at the office of then chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa.

Besides Ali and Arul Kanda, others who were present at the meeting were former auditor-general Ambrin Buang, former National Audit Department officer Saadatul Nafisah Bashir Ahmad, Najib’s former principal private secretary Shukry Salleh, and then Attorney-General’s Chambers representative Dzulkifli Ahmad.

During examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram today, Arul Kanda testified that he received a telephone call from Najib a day before the meeting, telling the witness to attend said meeting.

Sri Ram: Did he explain why (the need for Arul Kanda to attend the meeting)?

Arul Kanda: Yes, there were a number of reasons given by Najib, among them to defend the interest of the company (1MDB) and regarding the scope of the audit National Audit Department (NAD) verifying the accounts of 1MDB.

Arul Kanda said Najib was concerned that the contents of the report could be spun from a political perspective.

When Sri Ram asked whether Najib’s telephone call influenced him when he attended the Feb 24 meeting, Arul Kanda claimed what he got from the call was that Najib was concerned the 1MDB audit report may be “spun politically”.

“To my understanding, it was to the detriment of Najib,” the witness claimed to Sri Ram’s question on the former’s understanding on Najib’s concern over political spin of the audit.

To a question whether, if not for the Feb 24 meeting, the 1MDB audit report Watermark 09 (original copy of the audit report) would have gone to the PAC instead, Arul Kanda agreed.

Earlier today, trial judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan allowed the prosecution’s bid to turn Arul Kanda into a star witness against Najib.

Previously, Sri Ram submitted before the court that Arul Kanda possesses material information that can boost the case against Najib, including in relation to the Feb 24 meeting.

[More to come] - Mkini