News by Emir Zainul

Ambrin said he raised the matter of 1MDB producing two different versions of financial statements to the Companies Commission of Malaysia, and to Deustche Bank and AmBank to the former premier. However, Ambrin said Najib told him not to include this in the audit report and promised that this matter will be brought to the relevant authorities for investigation.

The serviced apartment includes 147 studio apartments sized between a range of 34 sq m to 37 sq m, and 105 one-bedroom apartments sized from 36 sq m to 43 sq m.  

Nor Salwani Muhammad, an audit director at the National Audit Department (NAD), testified in the High Court that the matter was raised by Arul Kanda during the exit conference held on Dec 16, 2015.

AmBank, as the lead arranger and primary subscriber to the bond, had proceeded with the IMTN issuance with TIA following an agreement signed on May 15, 2009.

Ambrin testified that the NAD special audit team for 1MDB — which comprised 12 officers — experienced certain limitations when conducting the audits, as some of the original and important documents which were supposed to be used to verify transactions and audit evidence were either submitted late or were not submitted at all by the fund.

Nor Salwani said she came for the Feb 24 meeting as the coordinator of the 1MDB audit report team but was not allowed into the room.

He was heard agreeing to the amendment in an audio recording of a meeting held on Feb 24, 2016, that was also attended by other top government officials. 

The prosecution's fifth witness, Nor Salwani, said today she had printed out 60 copies of the final draft of the 1MDB audit report, and on Feb 22, 2016, gave Ambrin six copies to hand out to Najib, the former premier's chief private secretary Tan Sri Shukry Mohd Salleh, Ali, Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad from the Attorney General's Chambers, and former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy.

"At the end, we agree there should not be two or three (different) versions of the 1MDB audit report. Whatever final version that existed, that should stand."

The proposed development involves two blocks of serviced apartments, comprising a 36-storey Tower 1 and a 37-storey Tower 2, with a total of 902 units, and includes a common facilities podium and a six-storey car park in Puchong.