1MDB CEO, ex-CEO absence does not affect PAC inquiry

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KUALA LUMPUR: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) probe into 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) would not be affected by the absence of its chief executive officer (CEO), Arul Kanda Kandasamy and former CEO Datuk Shahrul Ibrahim Halmi.

Arul Kanda and Shahrul would not be able to attend an inquiry called by the PAC scheduled for today. PAC chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the committee would continue with the inquiry by calling the three firms that audited the state-owned sovereign fund’s accounts in two or three weeks’ time.

“We will start by calling Deloitte Malaysia, followed by KPMG and Ernst & Young. We would send out letters to them to summon them to attend a hearing within two to three weeks.

“We hope the 1MDB auditors will cooperate with us by giving evidence at the inquiry,” he told a news conference on the development of the 1MDB inquiry here yesterday. Nur Jazlan said the audit firms would not be called simultaneously as the PAC wanted to go into details with them individually.

The PAC was notified by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) on Friday that the 1MDB hearing set for today had to be postponed as Arul Kanda and Shahrul were unable to attend it as they are on duty overseas. Nur Jazlan said the committee had agreed to postpone the inquiry.

“They (Arul Kanda and Shahrul) have requested for a 30-day extension, but we want them to come as soon as possible. We want to be fair to them before they come.

“The PAC wants to ensure a smooth and credible proceeding, apart from ensuring that no question would arise from the clarifications and information provided,” he said.

He said the PAC would send out another letter to the MoF, as the controlling authority of 1MDB, to call the duo to face 1MDB. — Bernama