Mindef told to get answers for conflicting statements on combat ship programme

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has asked the defence ministry to seek an explanation from Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation (BHIC) following a discrepancy in statements regarding the forensic audit report related to the littoral combat ship (LCS) programme.

PAC chairman Wong Kah Woh said in the proceedings attended by ministry secretary-general Muez Abdul Aziz yesterday, he raised the issue of the deletion (redaction/removal) of some information in the report.

"At the previous session (proceedings) before this, BHIC explained that the company received the deleted (redacted) forensic report from the defence ministry before it submitted the report to PAC.

"However, on Wednesday when the secretary-general of the ministry was present, he stated to PAC that the ministry never received the report, that it was a BHIC document, and it (the ministry) was not involved in the deletion (redaction)," he said in a press conference at the Parliament building yesterday.

Wong said the defence ministry would need to obtain an explanation from BHIC and submit comments to PAC regarding what had actually transpired.