The Malaysian Insight

FORMER auditor-general Ambrin Buang was told by top officials in the Barisan Nasional government that failure to amend the 1MDB audit report would tarnish Najib Razak’s image, the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard today.

Ambrin said he was told this by then chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa and Najib’s then principal private secretary Shukry Mohd Salleh during a high-powered meeting on February 24, 2016.

“They said his name would be tarnished. If his name was tarnished, nationally we would be tarnished also. This is what they were conveying to me in pressuring me to amend the report,” the 70-year-old said when examined by lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram.

The conversation was captured in a audio recording of the meeting made by National Audit Department director Nor Salwani Muhammad. The recording was replayed in its entirety in the hearings yesterday and today.

Ambrin confirmed that the meeting was attended by nine officials – himself, Shukry, Ali, Ali’s senior private secretary Norazman Ayub, former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy, NAD senior auditor Saadatul Nafisah Bashir Ahmad, Attorney-General’s Chambers representative Dzulkifli Ahmad, and Treasury representatives Mohamad Isa Hussain and Asri Hamdin.

Ambrin said the officials expressed worry that the report would tarnish the reputation of the prime minister and the government at large.

Ali said they should take care of the “leadership”, said Ambrin.

Asked what he meant, Ambrin said “leadership” meant Najib.

“The message from his side (Ali’s) was to say that the government was very worried about the content of our report and some of the issues needed to be discussed,” he said.

He said it was clear that the government then was worried that the report will be used by the Opposition.

On whether he had a “political agenda”, Ambrin replied in the negative and that he was merely doing his job as the then auditor-general.
 
Najib is accused of using his position to remove parts of the final 1MDB audit report between February 22 and 26, 2016 at the Prime Minister’s Department, before it was tabled to the Public Accounts Committee, to protect himself from criminal action.

Arul Kanda is on trial for abetting Najib. Both accused sat in the dock today.

The trial, before justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, is adjourned until January 13. – November 28, 2019.