A Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) officer told the Sessions Court in Shah Alam today that two F5 jet engines of the J85-21 type belonging to the RMAF had been taken out of Malaysia.

However, Kuala Lumpur Air Division staff officer Major Abdul Rahim Yob said he did not know whether the two engines were taken out of the country according to procedures set by the RMAF.

Abdul Rahim, 51, who was previously the head of the engineering division, Squadron 12 at the Butterworth Air Base, said he also could not ascertain the location where the jet engines were taken to after they were taken from the Matra 1 godown at the Kuala Lumpur Air Base.

“I only knew the two engines were placed in the godown (Matra 1) on Nov 13, 2007 after looking at the screen on the Integrated Computer Management System (SPKB), which displayed details on the sending of the engines and I no longer had control on the two engines when they were placed at the godown,” he added.

Abdul Rahim said this when during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Syed Faisal Syed Amir.

When Syed Faisal asked him whether the two engines belonging to RMAF were missing, Abdul Rahim said: “Yes”.

He also confirmed that the two engines, of the J85-21 type and with serial numbers E227718 and E227856, had been removed from a F5 aircraft belonging to RMAF after the engines were damaged.

Abdul Rahim is the first witness to testify in the trial of RMAF Sergeant N Tharmendran and businessman K. Rajandran Prasad who are charged with conspiring to steal and disposing off two RMAF jet engines.

On Jan 6 last year, Tharmendran pleaded not guilty to conspiring with airman Mohamad Shukri Mohamad Yusop to stealing two J85-21 model of F5 jet engines from the Material Processing Shed MATRA 1, Sungai Besi RMAF base on April 30, 2008.

He is charged under Section 380 of the Penal Code which is punishable with imprisonment for up to 10 years and a fine upon conviction.

Rajandran Prasad, the director of a supply company, also pleaded not guilty on the same date to the charge of intentionally disposing off the engines at 49 Jalan TS 6/6, Taman Industri Subang on April 30, 2008.

He is charged under Section 414 of the Penal Code which is punishable with a jail term of up to seven years and a fine upon conviction.

On Aug 20 last year, Tharmendran also pleaded not guilty to a money laundering charge, involving RM62,000, while Rajandran pleaded not guilty to five such charges involving RM437,319.50.

The hearing before judge Aslam Zainuddin continues on Sept 22.

- Bernama