Kedah should not be blamed for a RM2.55 million repair work done on "imaginary houses" in the state, as highlighted in the Auditor-General's Report 2011 because this was done by a state company head without the government's knowledge.

Revealing this to Malaysiakini today, a senior state government officer who did not want to be named said while the audit report was correct the state government should not be faulted as it had not been informed of the repair work to be carried out.

NONE The officer then went on the name the person responsible as Abdul Rahman Mohd Saad, a former managing director of Permodalan Kedah Bhd.

Abdul Rahman, he added, never discussed the matter with the state executive council, to which he had to report.

"Nobody can answer this issue. Only Abdul Rahman can answer (the charges) in the audit report," said the state officer, who added that the issue would best be dealt with by the police and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

Abdul Rahman when contacted refused to respond to questions from Malaysiakini, which highlighted this matter in audit report on Kedah, in which payment was made for repairs to non-existent houses .

Checks by the auditor-general's team revealed that five contractors were appointed to do maintenance work on low-cost houses in Taman Seri Gemilang and the Seberang Terus flats, at a cost of RM2.55 million between 2010 and 2011.

According to the report, the five contractors were found to be "from the same family".