PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli's move to challenge Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Latiff Ahmad to sue him over statements he made over Latiff's involvement in the littoral combat ships (LCS) project is a mere ruse in a bid to save face, said Umno leader Mohd Puad Zarkashi.
The Umno supreme council member said it is simple enough for Rafizi to obtain a copy of the marriage certificate of Latiff and the woman said to be involved in the LCS scandal.
"Rafizi is an expert in stealing information. That's why he was implicated in a Banking and Finance Institutions Act (Bafia) issue," Puad quipped, referring to the charges against Rafizi following his expose in the National Feedlot Corporation matter.
"As such, it is impossible that he is unable to steal the marriage certificate of Latif and the woman named Zainab Mohd Salleh.
"Instead, Rafizi is challenging Latiff to sue him. This challenge is just a ruse to save Rafizi's face," he said.
Puad also snidely said Rafizi should perhaps consider lodging a police report or taking Latiff to court if he insists the minister is lying about his marital status with Zainab.
"Lodging police reports is Rafizi's hobby," he said.
Links to defence contracting company
Rafizi had repeatedly accused Latiff of being corruptly involved in the LCS scandal through Zainab, who is referred to in Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation Bhd's (BHIC) project forensic audit report as his wife.
Rafizi said Zainab is Latiff's second wife, but this has been denied by the minister.
He also said Latiff was linked to Zainab through the company Mega P Asia, as shown in the company incorporation records.
Mega P Asia was named in the forensic audit report as a contractor for various naval defence projects, including a million ringgit contract to supply workers for the Scorpene submarine project, the forensic audit document read.
The Company Commission's records show that Mega P Asia is now solely owned by Zainab, after Latiff transferred all his shares to her in 2020.
Latiff said the audit report Rafizi was referring to is only the draft and not the final report.
The forensic audit was instructed by BHIC and covered what had happened in the LCS project from 2011 to the end of the 2014 financial year.
It is one of two LCS audit reports declassified by the cabinet this month.
The copies provided by BHIC to the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee also included Latiff's denial.
PKR lodges police report
Meanwhile, Rafizi announced that PKR's strategic director Akmal Nasir would lodge a report against Latiff.
This is over claims that Latiff, who at the time was deputy defence minister, had allegedly swindled money meant for the LCS project through a "fake company".
"After this, the authorities will receive more reports from army veterans and PKR members throughout the country.
"We will hunt down these corrupt ministers (menteri sakau) until they are punished," he said.
The LCS scandal hit the headlines after the PAC found that RM6 billion had been spent to build the ships, but not a single vessel was completed.
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