KUALA LUMPUR: Police have not ruled out the possibility of seeking the assistance of former 1MDB chief executive officer Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi in any investigation into the government-owned strategic investment company.
Bernama reported Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar (pic) as saying that a decision on the matter would be made after reading the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on 1MDB tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday.
“It is a report of 106 pages and we need time to scrutinise it. I will issue a statement when I am ready,” he told reporters after pinning ranks on senior police officers yesterday.
Among others, the PAC report had asked the authorities to investigate Shahrol Azral over the management of 1MDB.
On another matter, Khalid said four investigation papers had been opened against Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for allegedly calling for “foreign interference” to oust Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Khalid said a number of the probe papers had been submitted to the Attorney-General but no decision was made yet.
In Putrajaya, Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the resignation by 1MDB’s board of directors was the “right thing to do” following PAC’s findings.
He said this would bring closure to the issue and allow the Government to “turn over a new leaf” with regards to 1MDB.
“It is better if all of them resign to allow the Government to put in new people.
“Their resignation should not be equated with wrong but because it’s the right thing to do,” he told reporters after attending his ministry’s excellence award ceremony.
The board of directors had offered to resign following PAC’s findings.
Agreeing with PAC’s findings, Nazri said it absolved the Prime Minister, who serves as chairman of the 1MDB advisory board.
“Their decision is correct and accurate based on the information from statements taken from individuals during the course of their investigations.
“They reached a conclusion that Najib has no influence on the decisions made by the board,” he said, adding that this was a case where Najib or a Mentri Besar were appointed as advisers of government-linked companies but did not take part in day to day running.-thestar
