PUTRAJAYA: Former chief executive officer of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), Arul Kanda Kandasamy, has been detained at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters here over the tampering of 1MDB final audit report.
He was arrested at about 10.35am and was not allowed bail. He would be brought to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court tomorrow to be charged.
His lawyer Datuk N. Sivananthan confirmed that his client would be charged under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 for power abuse.
“He will be charged together with former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak tomorrow. He’s not allowed bail and will be spending a night in the MACC jail.
“He’ll be taken to the Jalan Duta court complex tomorrow morning,” he said in a press conference at the MACC lobby today.
Clad in a blue shirt, dark-coloured pants and a cap, Arul Kanda arrived at the headquarters at around 9.37am and believed to have used the back entrance before he was seen registering at the lobby.
He was believed to have come to the MACC to facilitate the investigation into the audit report.
Earlier, former chief secretary to the government Tan Sri Ali Hamsa was also seen at the headquarters just a few minutes before Arul Kanda.
Media had reported that the MACC was still in the process of recording statements from individuals involved in the tampering of 1MDB audit report, including Arul Kanda.
All the individuals had been called in to facilitate investigation since two weeks ago, among them were Najib, former MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad, former auditor general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang, and officers from National Audit Department and Finance Ministry.
An online news portal reported that Najib and Arul Kanda would be jointly-charged for abusing power.
On Nov 25, Auditor General Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamad had claimed that the final audit report on 1MDB had been tampered with Najib’s knowledge.
She also disclosed that two crucial matters dropped from the report were on the presence of wanted businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low at a 1MDB board meeting as well as the financial status of 1MDB.
Madinah claimed that those who were involved in the case include former prime minister’s private secretary Tan Sri Shukry Salleh, Ali, Ambrin and Arul Kanda.