Tan Seng Giaw: Najib not accountable over 1MDB dealings

KUALA LUMPUR: Public Accounts Committee (PAC) vice-chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw says the Prime Minister should not be held accountable over the dealings by 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).  

The DAP's Kepong MP said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was not involved in the company’s dealings as he was just a chairman of the advisory board.  

“I think those on the board of directors and management, and those who run the company, are the people we have to probe.  

“That will be the correct thing to do. Legally speaking, how can you take action against people who have done nothing?” he said at Parliament lobby here Thursday.  

“This is the rule of law. You can’t condemn a person until he has been proven guilty,” Tan said.  

However, PAC member and lawmaker Tony Pua believed that Najib should at least be held “ministerially accountable".

“Anything else we don't know because we don't have the overseas bank statements of 1MDB,” Pua said.

Earlier, the PAC tabled the 106-page report on 1MDB  in Parliament. 

It  found that former 1MDB chief executive officer Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi should be held responsible for the "weaknesses and constraints" faced by the state investment arm.

The 1MDB board of directors had collectively decided to offer its resignation to MoF Inc., which is the 100% shareholder.