PAC to summon Jho Low
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will summon businessperson Jho Low with regard to his role when he was adviser to 1MDB's predecessor, Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA).
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will summon businessperson Jho Low with regard to his role when he was adviser to 1MDB's predecessor, Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA).
PAC chairperson Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the committee arrived at the decision after listening to briefings on investments made by 1MDB.
"We are summoning him based on his capacity as special advisor to the chairperson of the advisory board of TIA," he told reporters in Parliament today.
Nur Jazlan ( photo ) however denied that Low was summoned due to the auditor-general's interim report on 1MDB indicating that there were some issues with what he had done as special advisor to TIA.
"No, no, no. We just want to call him to verify certain issues," he said.
Asked whether Low could refuse to come and whether he would be punished for doing so, the Pulai MP said: "It's up to him".
To a question whether the PAC would compel him to come, Nur Jazlan said the committee preferred not to resort to it.
"We don't want to reach that stage but it's up to him," he said.
Low won't be called anytime soon
Meanwhile, in a separate press conference later, PAC member Tony Pua was asked whether the committee's decision to summon Low had proven the allegations made against him thus far.
"It hasn't proved anything yet. It just indicates his involvement after having read the interim report because his name was raised, so it's important for us to call him," he said.
Pua, who said that he has no knowledge as to when the PAC would summon Low, however believes that the businessman would not be called anytime soon as the PAC has yet to question other important figures from 1MDB.
Nur Jazlan, earlier on his press conference said the PAC planned to re-summon 1MDB auditors Deloitte, KPMG and Earnst and Young to answer new questions raised in the auditor-general's audit report on 1MDB.
The PAC also plans to summon 1MDB executives, chief investment officer Vincent Koh, general counsel Ivan Chen, finance executive director Terrance Geh, financial officer Azmi Tahir, secretary Jasmine Looi and 1MDB Investment Holdings Limited director Shahrul Helmi.
"We plan to summon them in September after we call the former and current CEOs of 1MDB, as well as former and current 1MDB board of directors," said Nur Jazlan.
"We know that there might be problems to contact some of them, so we have asked the Finance Ministry to contact them so that they can come to the PAC meeting in September.
"We are giving them six to seven weeks to come forward to the PAC. We are giving them enough time to come."
No documents despite constant reminders
On another matter, Pua today claimed that the PAC had yet to receive a single document from the Finance Ministry despite constant reminders.
"We have been meeting the Finance Ministry since April and until today, not even one document has been submitted to the PAC.
"We have also agreed with Deloitte and KPMG that their documents would be given through the Finance Ministry, yet the documents have yet to be submitted.
"So the question is, is there an instruction to prevent these documents from reaching the PAC?" asked Pua.
The Petaling Jaya Utara MP pointed out that not only was 1MDB delaying documents to the National Audit Department, but the Finance Ministry was stopping documents from reaching the PAC.
Nur Jazlan yesterday said 1MDB had yet to furnish certain documents requested by the auditor-general for its investigation. The documents include some of the company's bank statements and agreements.
However, 1MDB group executive director Arul Kanda ( photo ) said that all documents in the company’s possession had been submitted to the National Audit Department.
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