KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 6): Boustead Heavy Industries Corp Bhd (BHIC) and the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) have both denied responsibility for the redaction of several paragraphs and charts in the forensic audit report on the littoral combat ships (LCS) project, said the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

“BHIC explained that the company received the redacted forensic report from Mindef before submitting it to the PAC Secretariat to be uploaded on the PAC website,” said PAC chairman Wong Kah Woh.

“However, Mindef secretary-general Datuk Seri Muez Abdul Aziz has stated to PAC that Mindef had never received the report from BHIC and was not involved in the redaction of the forensic report,” Wong said in a press conference at the Parliament building on Thursday (Oct 6).

Wong, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ipoh Timor, said PAC has therefore requested Mindef to get an explanation from BHIC and clarify the situation to the committee.

The July 2020 forensic audit report, prepared by BHIC, was declassified on Aug 22 this year. It was not the only document with redacted information.

PAC had also raised the redaction in the Audit Report of the Governance, Procurement, and Finance Investigation Committee (JKSTUPKK), declassified on Aug 10, prepared by the Prime Minister’s Department and Mindef.

“Regarding the JKSTUPKK report, PAC is of the view that there is no need for the government to redact some information.

"PAC was also not satisfied and did not receive an explanation from the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) regarding the reason for the redaction.

“PAC insists that the report be fully declassified as stated in the recommendations in the committee's report, and the Cabinet should give such instructions,” Wong said.

Aside from that, Wong said the PAC was informed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) that five investigation papers had been opened on the LCS issue. One resulted in a charge, and another investigation paper has been submitted to the AGC.