Najib didn't seek amendment to KLIA 2 project audit report, court hears

Najib didn't seek amendment to KLIA 2 project audit report, court hears

1MDB AUDIT TRIAL | Then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak never sought amendments to a special audit report on Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA 2) project, the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard.

Former National Auditor Department (NAD) auditor Saadatul Nafisah Bashir Ahmad testified this during today's 1MDB audit report trial of Najib and the sovereign wealth fund’s former CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy.

Previously, proceedings before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan heard prosecution witness testimonies on Najib allegedly seeking changes to the 1MDB special audit report, prior to its tabling with Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in March 2016.

In May 2015, then transport minister Liow Tiong Lai was reported saying that the then Najib-led cabinet backed an audit of the KLIA2 airport for low-cost carriers in Sepang. Najib was premier from 2009 to 2018.

The KLIA2 development, which began construction in 2012 and officially opened to the public in 2014, had been clouded by claims of cost overruns.

During the re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram, Saadatul, who is the seventh prosecution witness, explained that the special audit reports on 1MDB and KLIA 2 project are considered investigative in nature.



She said this is because unlike normal audits initiated by NAD itself, a special audit report is sought by either the cabinet or PAC, and the auditors are empowered to not only seek information from the auditee but also from other parties apart from the auditee.

Special audit

Sri Ram: You described this (1MDB) as a special audit. Is this the first time you (NAD) have done this?

Saadatul: No. We have done few times before this. There was one requested by cabinet on KLIA 2 (project).

Sri Ram: Who was the prime minister when that audit (KLIA 2) was carried out?

Saadatul: Najib.

Sri Ram: Did the second accused (Najib) call for a copy of the (KLIA 2) report or ask for changes to the report?

Saadatul: No.



Former NAD auditor Saadatul Nafisah Bashir

The trial before Zaini will resume on Nov 29.

Najib is charged with using his position to order amendments to 1MDB's final audit report before it was presented to the PAC in order to prevent any action against him.

Co-accused Arul Kanda was charged with abetting Najib in making the amendments.

The charges are framed under Section 23 (1) of the MACC Act 2009, which specify a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of no less than five times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

The prosecution is contending that a decision to make the amendments was made during a meeting on Feb 24, 2016, at the office of then chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa.

It was alleged this was done to remove or alter certain portions of the 1MDB audit report, including dropping the issue of wanted fugitive Low Taek Jho’s (Jho Low) attendance at the fund’s board meetings.

Besides Ali and Arul Kanda, others who were present at the meeting were former auditor-general Ambrin Buang, Saadatul Nafisah, Najib’s former chief private secretary Shukry Salleh, and then Attorney-General’s Chambers representative Dzulkifli Ahmad.