Why has MACC not charged anyone in the RM9 billion LCS scandal?

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MACC Yet to Recommend Charges for LCS Scandal Despite Forensic Audit Report

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has yet to recommend charges in relation to the RM9 billion littoral combat ship (LCS) procurement scandal, despite possessing a declassified forensic audit report highlighting financial irregularities for the past two years. Opposition MP Lim Kit Siang has publicly questioned this lack of action, particularly given the scale of the scandal, which has seen RM6.083 billion paid to the contractor with no vessels completed. The charges brought against former Boustead Heavy Industries Corp Bhd managing director Tan Sri Ahmad Ramli Mohd Nor, related to approving payments without board approval to entities like Setaria Holding Limited and JSD Corporation Pte Ltd, reportedly predate the Letters of Award for the LCS project and are therefore considered unrelated to the core scandal itself by critics.
Forensic Audit Report Held for Two Years

A declassified forensic audit report detailing financial irregularities within the LCS procurement process, spanning from 2011 to 2014, has been in the MACC's possession for approximately two years. This report has drawn attention to "questionable transactions," prompting questions about why no individuals have been charged directly in connection with the RM9 billion scandal during this period. The report's existence and the MACC's sustained inaction have become a focal point of public scrutiny.
Unrelated Charges Against Former Director

While three corruption charges have been brought against Tan Sri Ahmad Ramli Mohd Nor, the former managing director of Boustead Heavy Industries Corp Bhd and a former navy chief, these accusations are distinct from the LCS scandal. The charges involve alleged abuse of position as a director of Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS) for approving payments to specific companies, including Setaria Holding Limited and JSD Corporation Pte Ltd, without proper board sanction. However, these alleged actions reportedly occurred before the Letters of Award for the LCS procurement were issued in December 2011, thus not directly implicating him in the LCS project’s procurement irregularities.
Significant Financial Irregularities and Project Status

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) revealed that BNS was awarded a RM9.128 billion contract for six LCS vessels between 2013 and 2023. To date, the Malaysian government has disbursed RM6.083 billion, yet not a single LCS vessel has been completed. The project has faced substantial cost overruns, amounting to RM1.4005 billion, a portion of which, RM400 million, was reportedly used to settle an old debt from a previous project. Furthermore, equipment valued at an estimated RM1.7 billion is currently in storage, with approximately 15 per cent already rendered obsolete, highlighting significant mismanagement of funds and resources.

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Why has MACC not charged anyone in the RM9 billion LCS scandal?

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