'Please implement' Zahid wrote in LCS report
MOHAMMAD KHAIRIL ASHRAF MOHD KHALID18 Aug 2022 08:00am
Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Based on the report, a letter from Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) to Zahid, the then defence minister on July 8, 2010 had on the upper right side of a letter wrote "SUB (Secretarial Division) Procurement, please implement."
The letter was signed by the Navy chief Tan Sri Ahmad Ramli Mohd Nor who was also former Boustead Heavy Industries Corp Bhd (BHIC) managing director who sought a letter of intent (LOI) from the ministry for the LCS project.
One of the contents of the letter showed Ramli informed BNS were planning the LCS project for two years and the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) must be convinced that the LCS project had "the mandate and blessing of the government".
The committee was established during the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government and led by the former auditor-general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang.
Yesterday, Ramli was the first individual to be charged in court over the LCS scandal.
The 79-year-old was charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust at the Kuala Lumpur sessions court.
Ramli is accused of fraudulently approving payments amounting to a total of RM21.08 million to three different firms without the approval of BNS’ board while he helmed the company.
He has pleaded not guilty.
