KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak has described the statement by the National Audit Department over the final audit report of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) as an attempt to tarnish his reputation
The former prime minister also accused the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration of exhausting all of its avenues and mobilising all government agencies and media publications controlled by the ruling coalition to “continue influencing the people and ruin his good name” over the scandal-plagued 1MDB.
“The latest accusation was the statement by the National Audit Department on Sunday over the attempt by my former officer to conceal facts that Jho Low (businessman Low Taek Jho) had attended a meeting at 1MDB.
“If we look into it carefully and (with) a mature (thinking), the Finance Ministry in a written reply in Parliament on Dec 21, 2015 had confirmed that Jho Low was present in one of 1MDB meetings.
“He, however, had attended the meeting on the capacity of representing the PetroSaudi (Inc) and (PetroSaudi Inc owner) Prince Turki (Abdullah),” Najib, who was the former finance minister, said in a statement posted on his official Facebook account last night.
The Pekan Member of Parliament claimed the matter had also been confirmed, explained and discussed in proceedings held by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Nov 25, 2015.
“These disclosures have already taken place before the date alleged by the National Audit Department on the attempt to conceal Jho Low's name in the audit report.
“It is clear that there was no attempt by the previous government to conceal the fact from PAC or the people about Jho Low's presence in one of the 1MDB meetings,” he said.
At the end of his statement, Najib also sarcastically lambasted the current administration over the latest revelation by the department.
“I am fortunate that the ISA (Internal Security Act) had been abolished and that I have yet to be prosecuted for sodomy.”
The department confirmed that the final audit report on 1MDB was altered on the orders of Najib’s principal private secretary Tan Sri Shukry Salleh.
In a statement by Auditor-General Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamad yesterday, she confirmed that Low had attended a 1MDB board of directors meeting.