KUALA LUMPUR (April 11): Opposition lawmaker Tony Pua who has been vocal in highlighting the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal, said at no point in time did he “backtrack” from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report, as alledged by the state investment company.
The PAC report was tabled on the last day of Parliament on Thursday. The committee had by consensus, agreed to recommend that former 1MDB chief executive officer Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi and other related parties be investigated by the authorities.
"Anyone who had read the 106-page PAC report, as well as the accompanying transcripts of PAC proceedings would not be able to find any other deliberation on the role and culpability of the prime minister," said Pua, who is DAP national publicity secretary and Member of Parliament for Petaling Jaya Utara, in a statement today.
"Without the necessary bank statements and authentication documents from 1MDB, the PAC could not possibly “clear” the prime minister, even if we had wanted to," he added.
"However, despite the lack of completeness in the report, based on information made available, the PAC report was already able to arrive at the sufficiently damning findings and conclusions. That is the bipartisan consensus in the PAC," Pua noted.
Pua, who was reported as saying he was only “80% satisfied” on the findings of the PAC report, said his remarks was made because he believes the committee could have done more to uncover the discrepancies cited in the report.
"(These discrepancies) remain a mystery, including the summoning of additional key witnesses," he said.
He was responding to a statement issued by 1MDB on Friday, stating Pua had signed off without reservation on the PAC report to Parliament, but is now seeking to backpedal and question the contents of the report, saying he was only 80% satisfied.
"Let me put it on record that the PAC report was arrived on consensus and I have stated that on day one. The consensus version of the PAC report was published in Parliament last Thursday," said Pua.
He added that the report confirmed that the Auditor-General (AG) could verify at least US$7 billion of 1MDB’s cash and assets overseas, comprising US$1.03 billion meant for 1MDB Petrosaudi Ltd, but was instead transferred to Good Star Ltd.
It also confirmed that US$3.51 billion was transferred to Aabar Investment PJS Ltd for “refundable deposit”, “option termination” and “top-up security”, and US$940 million in purported “units” held in BSI Bank, Singapore and US$1.56 billion of 1MDB Global Investment Ltd investments in various funds overseas; as well as that the AG could not verify the ownership of Good Star and Aabar.
Pua said the PAC report had also confirmed that 1MDB had obstructed investigations by refusing to cooperate by handing over its overseas bank statements and that of its overseas subsidiaries, as well as other relevant documents, despite multiple deadlines by the AG and the PAC.
"(It also) confirmed that (Prime Minister) Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s written approval was necessary for all key appointments in and major transactions by 1MDB, including the US$1.83 billion Petrosaudi investments and its disposal, the US$6.5 billion bond issuances, the RM12.1 billion power plant acquisitions, as well as the sacking of 1MDB’s external auditors, KPMG and Ernst & Young," he said.