Former auditor-general Ambrin Buang said police reports were supposed to be made to trigger an investigation but this, too, was not done.
“A few days later, I checked on the assurance but nothing happened. I felt cheated,” Ambrin told ad hoc prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram during oral examination.
Ambrin, the sixth prosecution witness, said Najib had summoned him to his office on Feb 22, 2016 to discuss the 1MDB audit report that was to be presented to the Public Accounts Committee.
Also present at the meeting were former chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa and Najib’s principal private secretary Shukry Mohd Salleh.
“I attended the meeting out of respect for Najib,” said the witness, who was appointed by the king under the Federal Constitution.
He said Najib had raised the issue of the conflicting financial reports ending March 31, 2014, one of which was sent to the Companies Commission of Malaysia stating that 1MDB’s funds were used to settle debts.
The other financial report, sent to the finance ministry, Deutsche Bank and Ambank, stated that its funds were still in its possession.
“Najib requested that the two versions be excluded from the audit report and promised to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible,” he said.
Ambrin said Ali, in a Feb 24, 2016 meeting, had ordered a Treasury representative to make a police report.
That meeting to finalise the audit report was also attended by Ambrin, former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy, representatives of the National Audit Department and the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
In reading out his witness statement, Ambrin said the implications of excluding the two different financial statements from the audit report were serious but that he relented because of Najib’s undertaking to “get to the bottom” of the matter.
At that time, Najib was also the finance minister.
Najib is accused of using his position to obtain immunity from legal action in relation to allegations that he tampered with the 1MDB audit report, between Feb 22 and 26, 2016.
The alleged offence took place at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya.
Arul meanwhile was charged with abetting.
The hearing continues before trial judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan.