Law Minister: MACC’s probe into LCS project ongoing

ACCORDING to Law and Institutional Reform Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) probe into the controversial littoral combat ship (LCS) project is ongoing.

“Statements from various parties, including those abroad are still needed,” she added in a parliamentary response yesterday (Feb 23).

Azalina added that MACC had sent letters to the secretary-general of the Defence Ministry (MINDEF) requesting that the necessary steps be taken to prevent corruption, abuse of authority, and misappropriation of funds with regard to the LCS project.

Moreover, she also said that MACC was undertaking audits to strengthen the oversight of public procurements. This was in response to former Alor Mengkudu assemblyman Datuk Ahmad Saad Yahaya, who requested an update on the LCS project investigation.

Meanwhile, Tanah Merah MP Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz demanded last week that the government give an update on the probe and said that the issue should not be “swept under the carpet”.

According to an FMT report from August last year, MACC had recommended that several individuals linked to the LCS project be charged in court. MACC claimed that it had completed various investigation papers on project participants and had sent the papers to the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC).

It stated that it would await further instructions after the AGC reviewed the investigation papers.

Some days later, Ahmad Ramli Mohd Nor, the former managing director of Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS), was charged in the sessions court with three counts of criminal breach of trust totaling RM21.08 million in connection with the project.

Ahmad pleaded not guilty to the charges before Sessions Court Judge Suzana Hussain. — Feb 24, 2023

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