Mat Sabu: Defence Ministry lost over RM500mil from land swap deals
Tuesday, 19 Feb 20199:27 PM MYT
PETALING JAYA: The Defence Ministry lost more than RM500mil from several land swap deals worth RM4.75bil, says Mohamad Sabu (pic).
The Defence Minister said they had received the report from the Governance, Procurement and Finance Investigating Committee led by former Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang on the land swap deals, which was discussed in last Wednesday's (Feb 13) Cabinet meeting.
"The committee investigated 16 deals involving 2,932 acres of land belonging to the ministry. In addition to the land value, the cost of the projects is estimated to be RM4.88bil," said Mohamad, who is also Parti Amanah Negara president.
He added that the ministry was informed that a majority of the land swap projects were implemented without detailed planning.
When it came to the selection of the land swap locations, Mohamad, also known as Mat Sabu, said that there was also "political interference from certain quarters".
"This resulted in parts of the projects exceeding the contractual duration initially agreed upon.
"Alongside this, some projects were completed, but the construction quality is unsatisfactory," said Mohamad in a statement on Tuesday (Feb 19).
He instructed his officers to file reports with the police, the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and relevant agencies so that investigations can be conducted.
Last April, former minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz publicly alleged that land belonging to the Armed Forces had been swapped by a company supposedly under the control of three key individuals.
Former defence minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein denied the allegations, saying that it was an "outright lie".
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/02/19/mat-sabu-defence-ministry-lost-over-rm500mil-from-land-swap-deals/#wzCLT8Mg5aDtjo2L.99
