KUALA LUMPUR (April 5): Opposition lawmaker Tony Pua, one of the most vocal critics of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), today hit out at the strategic development company for calling him a "one-trick pony" as he raised questions about why the company had made collateral payments amounting to US$1.4 billion to Aabar Investments PJS Ltd.

1MDB yesterday also said Pua "can only recycle old and stale allegations" as it had previously clarified the purpose behind the US$1.4 billion deposit paid to Aabar.

Pua had raised questions after 1MDB issued a statement on Sunday, which had denied that the producer of The Wolf of Wall Street, Red Granite Pictures, was funded with money originating from 1MDB. An exposé by Wall Street Journal had alleged that Red Granite was funded with US$155 million originating from 1MDB.

"1MDB should stop making an ass of itself thinking that Malaysians are stupid and are easily deceived by the troubled company's attempts to cover up the multi-billion dollar shenanigans," Pua told reporters in the Parliament lobby.

Pua, who is DAP national publicity secretary and member of parliament for Petaling Jaya Utara, said it was understandable that 1MDB has to resort to such means to distract Malaysians from 1MDB's stubborn refusal to address the very simple question he asked.

He added that he has to recycle some questions as 1MDB has refused to give straight answers to them.

"A straightforward reply is even more important now that the Wall Street Journal has published allegations, citing global investigations, that US$155 million of funds from the British Virgin Islands (BVI)-registered Aabar have found its way to Red Granite owned by the stepson of the prime minister Riza Aziz.

"Red Granite has then used the monies to produce the movie The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo DiCaprio," said Pua.

He added that 1MDB claimed the purpose of the US$1.4 billion payment was explained in the Deloitte-audited financial statements dated March 31, 2013 and 2014.

"The supposed purpose of the payment is not in dispute. What is in question is why was the payment made to a BVI-registered Aabar instead of the real Aabar?" Pua queried. "In fact, I would go so far to ask if 1MDB has duped its international auditor, Deloitte, into believing that the BVI-registered Aabar is the real Aabar."

In a statement yesterday, 1MDB said it had provided detailed explanations along with supporting documentary evidence to the Auditor General's (A-G) Department over its US$1.4 billion deposit paid to Aabar, as well as explained all its major transactions at the recent Public Accounts Committee (PAC) proceedings.

"I would only say that whether 1MDB had indeed provided all the required supporting documentary evidence to the A-G will be known in due course when the PAC report and the A-G Report are tabled in Parliament," said Pua.