PAC shown evidence of tampering

“The difference between the two sets (of reports) is stark. The reintroduced parts that were allegedly redacted could overturn the earlier findings”.

(NST) – THE Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was shown startling evidence in its recent meeting over the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal that will change the course of its probe into the case once it resumes.

The New Straits Times has learnt that members of the committee were shown damning evidence involving documents that had allegedly been tampered with.

Sources told the NST that PAC members were shown two sets of documents, with one containing “parts of the missing pieces”.

The first was the original 106-page PAC report, which had cleared former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak of any wrongdoing.

Putrajaya, under the Barisan Nasional rule that ended on May 9, had, on various occasions, said there was no evidence linking Najib, who was also finance minister, to any wrongdoing.

This included last year, when the Finance Ministry, in its written reply to Parliament, said: “There is no evidence in the PAC report that has shown mismanagement of the company on the prime minister’s part…”

PAC members were also privy to another piece of startling information — that five individuals had allegedly tweaked the report that then auditor general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang signed off on.

Ambrin had, on Tuesday, denied ever tampering with the audit report.

He would have had the opportunity to shed more light into this developing issue if PAC’s proceedings on 1MDB had not been adjourned, as announced on Monday.

Highly-placed sources said PAC had also been made aware of who the five individuals are.

One of them is said to be an insider with the Auditor General’s Office, while the other was a former high-ranking officer with 1MDB.

The source also quoted the name of an officer who walked the corridors of the former Prime Minister’s Office.

“The difference between the two sets (of reports) is stark.

“The reintroduced parts that were allegedly redacted could overturn the earlier findings.

“Najib, (his wife Datin Seri) Rosmah Mansor and Jho Low’s (Low Taek Jho) names appear to have resurfaced in the report in ways that are not favourable to them,” the source claimed.

Najib has denied responsibility for the 1MDB scandal.

On Monday, PAC deputy chairman Wong Kah Woh dropped a bombshell on the tampered report in the Dewan Rakyat.

He had claimed that the report, which was classified as secret on Jan 22, 2016, and presented to PAC on March 4, 2016, was amended on the instruction of certain individuals.

Former PAC chairman Datuk Seri Hasan Arifin on Tuesday said the tampering of the final audit report on 1MDB did not take place during his tenure.

He said the allegations were not clear, urging the PAC chairman to clarify it.

He told reporters at the Parliament that during his tenure, the report was tabled as received from the auditor general.

Wong, when contacted yesterday, told the NST that he had to refrain from commenting further on the matter as he was constrained by Standing Order 85.

“However, I can confirm that the first proceeding that was planned by PAC is on the Audit Report, which was classified under the Official Secrets Act in 2016,” he said.