PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has ordered the police to lift the Official Secrets Act (OSA) seal on the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) audit report.
He said, this was because he wanted to carry out the investigation into the debt-ridden state-owned fund as quickly as possible as it involved a lot of money.
“Once declassified, the police will submit a report to me and I will study it,” he told a press conference at Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s headquarters here today.
The 1MDB audit report was tabled to the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee in April 2016 but former auditor-general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang sealed the documents under the OSA and it was never debated in the Dewan Rakyat.
However, whistleblower site Sarawak Report leaked an alleged copy of the report in July 2016.
Ousted prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is expected to be investigated on the alleged wrongdoings involving 1MDB.
At least six countries, including the United States, are investigating the alleged misappropriation of over US$4.5 billion from 1MDB, founded by Najib.
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has launched a criminal probe and filed civil lawsuits seeking to recover about US$1.7 billion in assets said to have been bought with stolen 1MDB funds.
Recently Dr Mahathir said Malaysia would reach out to the US authorities investigating the case.
The mega scandal has dogged Najib since 2015 after reports about US$700 million in misappropriated 1MDB funds flowed into his personal account.
Najib has denied wrongdoing and Attorney-General Tan Sri Apandi Ali has cleared him of any offence, saying the funds were a legitimate donation from the Saudi royal family.
Earlier, Mahathir was also reported as saying that the country currently has no attorney-general as he will be replacing Apandi, who had cleared Najib of all wrongdoings in connection with the 1MDB scandal.