LCS saga: 'Sharks' are not always politicians - Umno leader

 

Politicians are not always to blame for corruption, said Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan.

In a video statement uploaded to his Facebook page yesterday, he listed corruption cases involving several government agencies or GLCs to prove that corrupt people in high places are not always politicians.

“The assumption is that misappropriation, mismanagement, and the like must involve an instruction from ‘sharks’ who must be a minister or prime minister.

“This is a wrong assumption,” he said.

Shahril was commenting on the public outcry over the littoral combat ship (LCS) fiasco.

According to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), then defence minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi allowed contractors to build a ship based on a design the navy didn't want.

The PAC also established that the contractor was facing financial problems and that delivery of the first ship was already three years late.

Shahril said until the authorities - in particular the MACC - complete investigations, it is unfair to assume non-politicians were not to blame for the controversy.

He said Umno's opponents were happily exploiting the issue and accusing the authorities of only charging a “small fry” instead of the “sharks”.

“The person who was charged recently was not a ‘small fry’. He was a former navy chief.

“I'm not implying he is guilty. He has just been charged. We have to be consistent. A person is innocent until proven guilty.

“There were corruption cases involving government procurement during the Pakatan Harapan administration as well. We never insisted that the minister was 100 percent responsible,” he said. - Mkini