A year on, and cops hustle in missing engines case

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 — More than two years after two F5-E fighter jet engines were stolen and a year after the theft was discovered, police investigators are finally looking for documents to provide clues as to how the equipment could have been taken out of the country.

In a case that has become a major embarrassment for Malaysia and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who was Defence Minister at the times the engines were stolen, investigators have lingered over the case since the Royal Malaysian Air Force first lodged a report last August.

But since the thefts were publicly revealed recently, the authorities have come under pressure to explain why the case has taken so long to investigate and to deny claims of a cover up.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said today that investigators are now trying to locate important documents linked to the missing F5-E fighter jet engines.

“We have conducted a thorough investigation and have submitted investigation reports to the Attorney-General so that further action can be taken to charge those involved.

“But the A-G has since then informed the police to conduct more investigations in order to find the important documents which contain details on how the engines could be shipped out of the country in the first place,” said Musa.

Musa’s statement comes just a day after A-G Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail had given his assurance that his chambers would go all out to solve the case.

The case of the two missing jet engines first came to light after a daily newspaper had reported that the RMAF had lost two F5-E engines from its Butterworth base between June and

November 2007 and only realised it in May the following year.

The thefts were discovered when Armed Forces Chief Gen Azizan Ariffin, who was then then Air Force Chief, ordered an audit of the force’s assets.

A police report was only lodged last year and it was also reported that a brigadier-general and 40 personnel from the RMAF were sacked then over their alleged involvement.

When asked whether more arrests had been made since the case had been highlighted in the media, Musa stressed that action was constantly being taken.

“If there are more suspects that we find, I will take action. Do not forget that this also involves accusations made on an international level,” said the IGP.