Dr M casts doubts on effectiveness of A-G’s 1MDB probe

(The Star) – The Auditor-General’s probe into the controversial 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) may not be effective in revealing the truth, said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“The Auditor-General can audit but it is not going to reveal much,” the former prime minister said in a post on his blog chedet.cc on Tuesday.

He instead called for the formation of a commission to probe 1MDB, but stressed that the Government should have no hand in selecting its members.

1MDB has come under criticism by Dr Mahathir lately, who has also called for the resignation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“Wait until the Auditor-General reports. That can take years. Examining the accounts will reveal nothing. It will not explain the involvement of Jho Low. It will not explain how Riza Aziz has so much money at a time when 1MDB’s money disappeared,” he said.

In March, Najib told the Auditor-General to independently audit 1MDB’s accounts and forward its findings to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

1MDB, established by the Federal Government in 2009 to drive strategic investments, has come under heavy criticism for accumulating debts of RM42bil and is now facing cash flow problems.

Dr Mahathir also said that Najib’s lengthy rebuttal on his blog on Sunday did not address questions regarding 1MDB, the Altantuya murder case or the purchase of a Government executive jet.