PUTRAJAYA: Former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad was questioned by graft busters today after he was linked with the probe into allegations that the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) final audit report had been tampered with.
He spent about five hours with MACC in relation to the probe.
When met after being questioned, Dzulkifli said he was not the MACC chief in February 2016 – the period when the tampering allegedly happened.
“I had not been appointed as the MACC chief at that time.”
Dzulkifli said his presence in the 1MDB final audit report meeting was not as the MACC chief, but as a legal officer representing the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
“Therefore, my involvement was not in that capacity, as what was reported by the media,“ he said.
He also pointed out that he is not among the key witnesses as 15 other key witnesses had been summoned previously pertaining to the investigation, “which means I am among the last witnesses”.
Dzulkifli added he had given his full cooperation to the MACC.
He left the MACC headquarters at about 3.30pm.
At press time, former Auditor General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang was still at the MACC headquarters to have his statement recorded on the case.
He arrived about 2pm today.
Ambrin and Dzulkifli are among several persons of interest being summoned by the MACC to help in its investigation into the case.
Auditor General Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamad on Nov 25 revealed that former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak had allegedly instructed the 1MDB final audit report to be amended by taking out several paragraphs.
Among the changes that were allegedly made include the presence of wanted businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low in the 1MDB board directors’ meeting.
Madinah also claimed the involvement of several other people in the case, including former prime minister Najib’s former private secretary Tan Sri Shukry Salleh; former Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Ali Hamsa; Ambrin and former 1MDB chief executive officer Arul Kanda Kandasamy.
Meanwhile, Arul Kanda will reportedly be hauled to court over the alleged tampering of the government’s audit report on the firm, according to MACC sources.
Najib could also be charged after he was accused of allegedly ordering the amendment of the report.
