Senior PKA officer under probe for corruption

Port Klang Authority (PKA), the statutory body governing Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ), has launched an investigation against a senior officer for alleged misconduct and corruption.

Depending on the outcome, it will decide whether to refer the case to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC).

PKA chairperson Teh Kim Poo said today that the PKA board had met last Friday and directed its disciplinary sub-committee to investigate the senior officer for allegedly taking bribes and tarnishing the image of PKFZ.

"The board takes a serious view of false allegations that have damaged its good intention to cut costs and to service the PKFZ loan," Teh told Malaysiakini.

Early this month, several media organisations received an anonymous email accusing Teh of having breached the tender procedures in granting landscaping and housekeeping work to two unqualified companies.

However, he has vehemently denied the allegations and claimed that this was the work of a disgruntled senior PKFZ officer whose cronies had lost their business after the tenders were given to the companies.

Teh, a MCA politician who took over the chair of PKA in April, also accused the senior officer of making at least RM18,000 in "under-the-table money" every month from his cronies, over the past five years.

'Officer sent out poison pen letters'

He also revealed that the senior officer had resorted to sending out poison pen letters in March last year, when the company recommended by the officer was not given a contract. This case will also be investigated by the disciplinary sub-committee.

Asked why PKA has not lodged a report with MACC, Teh explained that the board will wait for the findings of the internal investigation before deciding whether to refer the case to the anti-graft agency.

However, he expects the MACC to approach PKA soon, as the senior officer has raised the allegation of corruption against him (Teh) with the MACC.

"It was written in an (anonymous) email that MACC has been notified. We will wait for it to come and give our full cooperation to find out who is really involved in corruption," Teh said.

"Definitely, it will not be the chairperson, who has right from day one been finding various ways to bring down operational costs and increase the PKFZ income."

PKFZ made headlines in 2007 over reports that its cost could balloon to RM7.5 billion, and eventually to RM12.5 billion.

An investigation into the scandal was launched when then MCA president Ong Tee Keat took over the Transport Ministry in 2008.

Charges have since being brought against several key personalities, including former PKFZ general managers and two former transport ministers. The trials are still going on.