Old computers in ‘mystery boxes’, not documents linked to Mindef

This was confirmed after FMT was given a tour of the compound of a private company with contracts with the defence ministry.

The boxes contain old computer equipment waiting to be disposed of at a price.

KUALA LUMPUR: The stacks of boxes in the compound of a company with business dealings with the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) were found to contain computer equipment and printers.

The company today denied earlier speculation that they could contain documents believed to be part of an investigation into dodgy deals under the previous government.

Giving FMT a tour of the place, a spokesman for the company who did not want to be named said the boxes were left outside to make way for room in their office.

He denied that they contained documents related to Mindef’s current investigation into suspicious contracts.

During the visit, several boxes were shown containing computer equipment and printers, which the company said had not been used since early 2000.

“We are waiting for quotations from several companies to discard the equipment because it is a cost to us to discard them,” he told FMT, pointing to some 50 boxes covered with canvas and plastic sheets.

He said the equipment had belonged to one of their subsidiaries which sold computers but which was no longer in business.

On Monday, it was reported that stacks of boxes placed on wooden pallets and in trucks outside the company’s offices had raised speculation that they could contain documents which could help with investigations recently announced by Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu.

Security guards there said they were in the dark about the contents of the boxes, but were told by their employers to ensure that “no one touches or goes near them”.

“The pallets have been there under rain and shine. We can’t say much but we are told to ensure no boxes or papers go missing,” said a guard, who declined to give more details.

Defence contracts believed to be worth billions of ringgit have become a focus of the Pakatan Harapan government as it pledges to unravel graft in government procurements under Barisan Nasional. - FMT