It's not this simple - the PKFZ Scandal

Finally someone got charged and brought to the court of justice. The PKFZ had indeed cost taxpayers billions of ringgits, and just like many other corruption cases in Malaysia, those who have been charged are only the ikan bilis. So far, the ministerial level individuals who condoned and involved in this shameful scandal are still at large. The abuse of power had definitely happened, but the government took its first step to legally clear themselves of any wrong doings with the help of MACC.

The whole Port Klang Free Zone scandal is not this simple; without the guarantee of protection and participation of the government, such multi-million-dollars crime could never happen just like that. It's just not convincing enough that a few engineers or architects are the masterminds behind everything happened.

C Guevara

Reports from The Malaysian Insider.

Former Kuala Dimensi engineer charged

UPDATED

By Neville Spykerman

KLANG, Dec 14 — A former engineer with Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB), the turnkey contractor of the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ), was brought to the Sessions Court here this morning and charged with 24 counts of cheating in connection with the PKFZ scandal.

Law Jenn Dong, 51, is jointly accused with Bernard Tan, an architect with BT Architect, who was charged last week for cheating involving RM122.3 million.

Law is accused of making 24 false claims involving a total sum of RM122.267 million. He claimed trial.

Bail was set at RM250,000 by Sessions Court judge Yong Sazali and the case will be mentioned on Feb 4.

Tan also faces two other charges of making false claims with KDSB chief operating officer Steven Abok.

Law is led into court by a policeman. — Picture by Jack Ooi

Apart from the Tan and Abok, the most senior person charged thus far has been former Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager OC Phang, who was charged with CBT amounting to RM254 million, to which she claimed trial, last Thursday.

She was granted bail of RM350,000 in one surety. The case will start on Jan 12, on which date she has been asked to surrender her passport.

Abok and Tan's case meanwhile will be mentioned on Feb 4. They have also been released on bail.

Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail had also given his assurance that more people will be charged in relation to PKFZ.

"The charging of other individuals will come in stages," promised the A-G in a statement on Thursday.

The PKFZ controversy arose after the cost to develop the massive 400-hectare integrated cargo distribution hub spiralled from RM2 billion to RM4.6 billion.

Law is accused of cheating PKA into endorsing payment to KDSB for electrical infrastructure work which allegedly was not carried out.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years’ jail, whipping and a possible fine for each of the 24 charges.

So far it’s unclear if prominent Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians such as former Transport Minister Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy or Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, who controls KDSB, will face any action.

Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee recently recommended that Chan and Phang be investigated for criminal breach of trust in the PKFZ scandal.

It also recommended investigations into the role of other government officials serving in PKA when the project was being developed. The PAC found both Chan and Phang to have breached the Financial Procedure Act 1957 by issuing three letters of support and three letters of undertaking without the approval of the Finance Ministry.

The PKA sued Phang on Oct 8 for breach of duties in connection with the scandal-plagued PKFZ project.

C Guevara