Senator Muhammad Abdul Ghani has filed a police report today against the New Straits Times and its sister dailies Berita Harian and Harian Metro over a report regarding the cloning of Approved Permit (APs).

The Kelantan senator, who was implicated by the scandal, lodged the report with the Kota Bharu district police headquarters at 2.35pm.

Muhammad, 60, who is Umno Kubang Kerian division vice-chief, claimed that the three dailies had 'deliberately published inaccurate' news to defame his position as a senator, politician and president of the ex-armed forces' association.

"The report that my company cloned more than 1,000 APs since three years ago is excessive and untrue," he told malaysiakini .

"I am also in the process of filing a claim from the three newspapers because the report has affected my image and that of my company," he said.

Half a million ringgit profit a month

According to the report, the company - which was not named - is believed to have cloned more than 1,000 APs reaping a profit of RM500,000 a month over the past three years.

It was also reported that the senator, who was also not named, had 'collaborated' with his son who runs the company.

In the front-page report which quoted a source, NST said the customs has solid evidence to prove this after the seizure of luxury cars imported through the use of fake documents.

"Initial investigations revealed that the APs awarded by the government were in the senator's name and managed by a company he set up about three years ago.

"It is understood that the senator is pleading ignorance as he had little knowledge about the company's day-to-day management. But the customs is not buying this excuse," read the report.

The staff did it

Commenting on this, the senator told malaysiakini that it was true that his son manages the company but there are also other partners.

The senator, who conceded that his company received 500 APs a year, said the cloning activities were carried out by his staff.

According to him, the staff had used the company's official cheques in the cloning process.

"I have no idea about this as I am no longer active in business as I am concentrating on politics.

"I am also uncertain about the number of APs which have been cloned. It is now up to the police and customs to investigate the matter," he said.