KUALA LUMPUR: The littoral combat ship (LCS) procurement project is a pre-planned scam, claimed PKR Deputy President Rafizi Ramli.
He said this was proven with the involvement of various dummy companies and the layers of subcontractors appointed for the project.
"This cannot happen without planning. This is not akin to the stealing of chickens.
"We know it was planned. When we see layers after layers of subcontractor companies, dummy companies which systematically sought to imitate the names of actual companies...
"It was seen that there was a company in France that existed and was involved in defence as well as being a contractor, so a (same) company was created, but it was established in the Malta or the Bahamas.
"It was (done in such a way) that the documents were falsified to show that it was the (actual) contract.
"The parts were bought from a company that actually existed, but in reality, no one knows where the items were sourced from.
"Then the invoice (issued) also goes nowhere," he said at the Ayuh Malaysia Truck launch in Wangsa Maju, last night.
Also present were PKR vice-president and Member of Parliament (MP) for Permatang Pauh, Nurul Izzah Anwar and party vice-president as well as Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
The Ayuh Malaysia Truck will be utilised as PKR's platform in its road trip tour to parliament and state constituencies nationwide. The campaign will see a series of information dissemination sessions to Malaysians to prepare for the 15th General Election (GE15).
Rafizi said the presence of offshore accounts strengthened the point that the embezzlement in the LCS project was not orchestrated by underlings.
"As a certified accountant, experienced in managing international investment portfolios, if there is a party that goes to great lengths from the establishing an offshore company, it means that it is not headed by 'fries' but a 'shark'.
"Only 'sharks' can set how early or what a contract does. The job specifications and the contractor were not undertaken, but the money was disbursed first, transferred and deposited to an account — and we don't know who the owner is because we don't know the physical ownership certificate (of the account)," he said.
He adds the LCS project took place under the BN government when Datuk Seri Najib Razak was the Finance Minister while Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was the Defence Minister from 2009 to 15 May 2013.
It was before Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein took over as the Defence Minister, which the Sembrong MP held from May 16, 2013 to May 10, 2018.
"If we don't do something, many more scandals will come out in the next five years," he said.
Rafizi also asked who Barisan Nasional will appoint as its Prime Minister designate in the event the coalition wins GE15.
"Najib still wants to be PM, he is confident that he can still be PM, Zahid also wants to be (PM). After being PM now, will Ismail Sabri (Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob) not want to?" he asked.
Rafizi assured that if PH was given the mandate again to lead the government, the pact would not repeat the mistakes made after winning the 14th General Election.