KUALA LUMPUR: Former DAP member of Parliament Tony Pua has taken a jab at former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's apology over the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.
In a Facebook post, Pua took aim at Najib for sacking his former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and former attorney-general Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail at the height of the issue.
"I'm not responsible for sacking my deputy prime minister to cover up 1MDB. I'm not responsible for sacking the attorney-general to cover up 1MDB.
"I'm not responsible for going after and persecuting 1MDB whistle-blowers to cover up 1MDB."
On Oct 24, Najib issued an apology for all that transpired in the 1MDB financial scandal, but maintained his innocence claiming that he was deceived by fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho and his associates.
Pua, who is former DAP national publicity secretary, also took a shot at Najib over the decision to pay millions in fees to Goldman Sachs to raise bonds for the sovereign wealth fund.
The bank helped sell US$6.5 billion of bonds for 1MDB, which Najib set up with the help of financier Jho Low, purportedly to promote economic development.
Reuters reported that US and Malaysian authorities have said US$4.5 billion was siphoned away, with some diverted to offshore bank accounts and shell companies linked to Low, who is now a fugitive.
The bank collected about US$600 million in fees, with its Malaysia unit pleading guilty to a corruption charge.
Pua also took a dig at what he claimed were "lopsided super over-priced" deals with Chinese companies, allegedly made to cover up 1MDB debts.
He then mocked Najib for saying he had been punished politically and that he should not be legally victimised.
"It's not my fault. Really," added Pua sarcastically.
Najib is currently serving his six-year jail sentence, after he was found guilty of one count of abuse of power over the Retirement Fund Inc's RM4 billion loan to SRC International Sdn Bhd, and three counts each of criminal breach of trust and abuse of power involving RM42 million of SRC funds.
His jail sentence was halved from 12 years, following a Federal Territories Pardons Board decision on Feb 2 this year. His RM210 million fine was also halved to RM50 million.