Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak said he had raised the issue of the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) and had sought details of Malaysia's settlement agreement with the company before his court case, and that it was Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng who had been absent from Parliament at the time.

Thus, he said, the accusation by Lim that he intentionally sought to challenge the government to reveal Malaysia’s reveal the settlement agreement with IPIC after he has been charged in court was not true.

Lim had alleged yesterday that Najib knew the government would not be able to divulge the information as it would be sub judice pending the court case.

"That is not true. I once appealed that they do so (reveal settlement details) during my debate in the Dewan Rakyat prior to me being charged for the IPIC case but at the time, Guan Eng skipped (ponteng) the Dewan.

"He also gave the excuse that he cannot speak about IPC now as it is a court case but the record shows he continued to speak about the case, even during his speech when tabling Budget 2019," Najib said in a Facebook posting.

He stressed that he had been unable to reveal the settlement when he was prime minister as he had to ensure it would not disrupt bilateral ties as it involved another country.

"It has always been my objective to return every sen of 1MDB money and that no money goes missing. That's why the previous government once reached two settlements in 2015 and 2017 to reach this goal.

"I see the government does not want to reveal these documents as it will show the clause stating IPIC must repay the money said to be missing from 1MDB before Dec 31, 2020."

"Now I ask Guan Eng - why does the Harapan government not wish to continue efforts with IPIC to fulfil the clause?

"Are efforts to charge me more important than getting 1MDB money back and preserving the country's relations with the government of Abu Dhabi?"

Fraudulent means

Najib and former treasury secretary-general Irwan Serigar Abdullah (photo) were charged on Oct 25 with six counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) for allegedly diverting RM6.6 billion from its intended purposes to pay IPIC. Both have claimed trial.

It was reported on Tuesday that the government has filed an order at the London High Court to set aside a consent award that was recorded by an arbitration tribunal on May 9 last year between IPIC and Aabar Investments PJS as claimants and 1MDB and the Minister of Finance Inc (MOF Inc) as respondents.

Under the consent award, Malaysia is to pay US$5.78 billion to IPIC and the bond trustee over a five-year period, a sum which attorney-general Tommy Thomas described as obtained through fraudulent means.

Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala said it was unaware of any legal bid to challenge the arbitration’s outcome.

Mubadala had merged with IPIC in 2017.

When tabling Budget 2019 on Friday, Lim had stated that the government and 1MDB will not pay the remaining US$4.32 billion debt to IPIC and British Virgin Islands-registered Aabar but will instead demand the US$1.46 billion that had been paid to the company.

Lim said Putrajaya would work with foreign governments to retrieve the money which belongs to 1MDB, which have been seized.