The politician who raised allegations of corruption in a number of Malaysia's key aviation and defence companies today demanded that the police reveal the status of their investigations, three months after the report was first lodged and made public .

In a statement to the press, PRM vice-president Sivarasa Rasiah said a letter was faxed to Bukit Aman to request that the police furnish a detailed report on their investigations into Airod president Ahmad Johan and a number of defence companies linked to him.

"I had not made inquiries earlier as ... I felt that the police would require sufficient time," said Sivarasa who, together with representatives from opposition parties PRM and Keadilan, lodged his report on June 5.

"Over three months have passed with no response whatsoever from the police," he lamented..

Sivarasa was interviewed by the police's commercial crimes unit regarding the matter on June 7.

Among the allegations include a payment of RM5.7 million by Airod to Quality Ranch - a company related to Ahmad and his son Edron Hayata - for consultancy work on a Royal Malaysian Air Force contract.

A second allegation involves Airod's sourcing of aircraft parts from UK-based Fabel, another company linked to Ahmad.

Funds siphoned?

In his police report in June, Sivarasa said Airod used to obtain its spares straight from the original manufacturers prior to Ahmad becoming president, but now, the cost would be higher seeing that the purchases have to go through Fabel.

Sivarasa also want the police address the RM3.4 million that Ahmad had allegedly paid out to himself - by issuing 34 separate cheques of RM100,000.

In June, PRM said that payments to Quality Ranch were particularly questionable because the company has no experience in the aviation industry, suggesting that the consultancy firm could be used to siphon funds from Airod.

Party president Syed Husin Ali commented that actual consultancy work on the two RMAF C130 aircraft were instead believed to be carried out by US-based Lockheed Martin.

As of August 2001, Ahmad and his son were replaced as directors of Quality Ranch by two individuals who had served as secretary and personal assistant to Ahmad.

Ahmad's role in a number of these companies raises the concern over concentration of key defence industry companies into the ownership of one person.

Lip service

Given Airod's contracts with the Defence Ministry, Sivarasa said ministry should also be asked to reveal the extent of its knowledge of the allegations.

"There has been much rhetoric recently from the authorities right up to the deputy prime minister about the commitment of the BN to deal with the widespread corruption in the country."

Ahmad ( photo , with the prime minister ) controls Airod through his 90 per cent ownership of Aerospace Industries Malaysia (AIM), while the Finance Ministry also owns a part of Airod through its 10 percent ownership of AIM.

AIM is a private company chaired by Ahmad. In addition, second Finance Minister Jamaludin Jarjis is also a director of Airod.

Sivarasa's letter was directed to Bukit Aman chief of public relations Jamshah Mustapha. However, Jamshah could not be reach for comment.