KUALA LUMPUR – 1Malaysia Development Bhd faced difficulties during an audit in 2015 after police raided its office and seized documents a day before an interim report on the initial findings of the state investor was presented to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the high court here heard today.
This was suggested by counsel Datuk N. Sivananthan to former National Audit Department (NAD) audit director Saadatul Nafisah Bashir Ahmad, 66, during cross-examination during the 1MDB audit report tampering trial involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and former 1MDB chief executive Arul Kanda Kandasamy.
The seventh prosecution witness agreed with Sivananthan, acting for Arul Kanda, that police seized documents in the July 8, 2015 raid.
PAC received the interim 1MDB report from then auditor-general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang on July 9, 2015.
Sivananthan: Are you aware that police seized documents from 1MDB on July 8, 2015?
Saadatul Nafisah: I heard it in the news, but I don’t remember the exact date and what documents were seized.
Sivananthan: Are you aware that the interim report to PAC was presented on July 9, 2015?
Saadatul Nafisah: Yes, we presented (it). I don’t remember the actual date, but (it was) three to four months after our audit.
Sivananthan: In the circumstances, do you agree with me that it (raid and seizure) would have put 1MDB in a little bit of a difficult position, bearing in mind that police had seized the documents? Therefore, they had to request those documents back from the authorities for the audit process?
Saadatul Nafisah: Yes.
Sivananthan also suggested to the witness that 57 areas of the 1MDB audit report were amended after Arul Kanda gave additional information to NAD, to which Saadatul Nafisah replied: “I’m not sure, but the wording was amended.”
Sivananthan then asked the witness to refer to an intensive documentary exhibit to verify the amended sections in the audit report.
At this juncture, judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan directed Sivananthan to give the witness more time to answer the question, as she needed to first go through the documentary exhibit.
Najib, 68, has been charged with using his position to order amendments to the final 1MDB audit report before it was presented to PAC to avoid any action being taken against him, while Arul Kanda, 45, was charged with abetting Najib in making the said amendments to protect the former prime minister from being subjected to action.
Both were charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount of the gratification, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
The trial will continue on September 27. – Bernama, September 7, 2021
