The Public Accounts Committee today declared that high-profile officers were not involved in the theft of two RMAF F5 J85-21 jet engines from an air force base.

azmi khalid pac parliament pc 170609 01 PAC chairperson Azmi Khalid who wrapped up the probe after just two meetings said: "We found no discrepancies at the higher level... we found it was a well-planned and organised theft."

He dismissed medai reports that the engines cost more than RM50 million a piece, saying that at the present conversion rate, they were valued at RM400,000 each.

"The cost at the time of purchase (1975) was RM303,570 per unit after taking into account the conversion rate at the time.

"The current conversion rate between the Ringgit and the US Dollar puts the cost at RM412,855. It does not even touch RM1 million."

'No records of engines being transferred'

Defence Ministry officials, including secretary-general Abu Bakar Abdullah and RMAF chief Gen Rodzali Daud, briefed the committee alongside 10 other top-ranking officials.

Azmi said the contention that the two jets engines - which were found missing in 2007 - were being taken for a routine maintenance check from Butterworth to the RMAF godown in Kuala Lumpur is erroneous as there is no record of this.

"The PAC listened to the explanation given by the ministry and the RMAF and concluded that there was a loss.

"There are no records of the engines being transferred out of storage from Sungai Besi," said Azmi, adding that each engine weighs about 1 tonne.

"Before this, there had been stories that the engines had been lost while being transported or while stored by other parties.

NONE "An internal RMAF investigation was done, and a police investigation had been carried out. We will leave it to the police and AG's chambers to determine who was involved."

Asked if the committee has been informed of the details of the police probe and those involved , he said: "(We) cannot speak on that as it is now a police and court matter."

Azmi, who is also the Padang Besar BN MP, clarified that there is "no link" between the stolen engines and the sacking of a brigadier general.

"There had been talk that someone of that rank had been dismissed over the loss of engines, but this is not so," said Azmi.

He added that the air force had admitted that there were weaknesses within the inventory system at the time the jet engines were pilfered, which was a contributing factor to the theft.

 

The jet engines were discovered missing by the RMAF on May 22, 2008 and a police report was lodged on Aug 4 that year.

On Jan 6 this year, a RMAF sergeant and a company director were charged in the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court in connection with the theft of jet engines. They claimed trial.