1MDB audit report classified as confidential after leakage, court told

KUALA LUMPUR: The Sessions Court was today told that the audit report on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) was classified as confidential after a leak was discovered in the 1MDB interim report which was sent to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in July last year.
Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang, 67, (pix) said after the leakage was discovered, the National Audit Department expected the final report to also leak out.
"It was I, as the auditor-general, who classified the 1MDB audit report last January, after I was given the power under the Official Secrets Act by the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
"I got to know about the leaked information after my officer showed me a copy of page 98 on a blog and Facebook social website which discussed the issue on 1MDB," he said on the fourth day trial of Pandan MP Mohd Rafizi Ramli, who is facing charges for unauthorised possession and exposing of official document on 1MDB audit report.
Amrin was the fifth prosecution witness called to testify in the hearing of the case.
He said the special auditing on 1MDB was made based on requests from PAC and the cabinet and the final report was submitted to PAC.
Mohd Rafizi, 39, who is also Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president and secretary-general, was charged with unauthorised possession of page 98 of the audit report on 1MDB at the Parliament lobby in Jalan Parlimen here at 3pm last March 24.
The offence, under Section 8(1)(c)(iii) of the Official Secrets Act, provides an imprisonment for up to seven years, if found guilty.
The hearing before judge Zulqarnain Hassan continues today. — Bernama