KPMG managing partner: Najib ordered me to have 1MDB 2013 audit signed; but we didn’t as 1MDB did not give info requested for months
Former finance minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had instructed audit firm KPMG to complete and sign off on its audit of 1Malaysia Development Berhad’s (1MDB) 2013 financial statements within two weeks, even as KPMG had yet to receive crucial documents and information on a US$2.318 billion purported investment by 1MDB, the High Court heard today.
(MMO) – KPMG’s managing partner Datuk Johan Idris said this while testifying as the 14th prosecution witness in Najib’s trial over the alleged misappropriation of more than RM2 billion of 1MDB funds.
Johan was today recounting what had taken place during a meeting on the night of December 15, 2013 at Najib’s private residence in Taman Duta. The 45-minute-long meeting was between KPMG with Johan as its sole representative, 1MDB and Najib himself.
At that time, KPMG had yet to sign off on the audit for 1MDB’s financial statements for the financial year ending March 31, 2013, as 1MDB had yet to provide the information that KPMG had been asking for since April 2013.
Based on minutes of the meeting that Johan had typed out himself, he noted that Najib had asked for KPMG to sign the audit by December 31, 2013.
“Before the meeting ended, Datuk Seri Najib stated that he wished to see the 1MDB account signed by KPMG before or on December 31, 2013, but I did not give any response to him.
“I also did not understand why 1MDB refused to disclose information about the underlying assets that were said to be confidential. Furthermore, there were also no supporting documents presented to me at that time to show that information is confidential,” he told the High Court today.
