By Debra ChongKUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 - The DAP wants Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi back in the Dewan Rakyat to explain the discrepancies in the figures over the controversial Eurocopter helicopter contract even though the deal has been called off.
DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang told reporters in Parliament this morning that while he was glad that the PM had ordered the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to continue with its investigations into the military purchase scandal, Abdullah himself as the Defence Minister shouldclear the air over the vastly different figures.
Lim said Abdullah may have been wrongly advised over the total sum for the 12 units of the Eurocopter EC725 Cougar which the Defence Ministry had disclosed late in August. He noted that the latest figures had been grossly changed from the initial report of RM2.3 billion.Referring to several newspaper articles, he observed that the figures reported for the tender was initially set at RM1.1 billion but became RM1.7 billion.
"How did this RM1.1 billion tender mushroom to become RM1.7 billion before the award?" the Ipoh Timur MP queried.
"It is an increase of RM600 million which is a gargantuan sum," he said.
Lim added that Abdullah needed to make transparent the entire due process of the purchase procedure as the Defence Ministry's secretary-general Datuk Abu Bakar Abdullah had earlier been reported as saying the Eurocopter contract was awarded based on it clearing allthree aspects, that is, technical evaluation, the offset package and its pricing.
"I think these are things the Prime Minister must come to the House to explain and PAC must investigate," Lim said.
He also urged the PAC chairman, Datuk Azmi Khalid, to pull out from the current investigation over the helicopter deal.
Lim alleged that Azmi might be prejudiced due to his "close proximity" as a member of Abdullah's Cabinet and had played a role in the decision-making process over the particular helicopter deal.
Lim asked that Tan Seng Giaw as deputy chair replace Azmi in heading this particular PAC investigation. -- TMI
1 comment:
We can sell anything to Defense Ministry. the procedure is very simple only paper evaluation is required and wow....sure approve one.
What a bullshit....Do the Secretary General of the Defense Ministry Knows what he is doing.
Breeding incompetency in top gomen civil servants.
Post a Comment