By Yusoff A. Shariff
LAWYERS representing Abdul Latiff Ahmad have issued a letter of demand to the auditors allegedly responsible for the forensic audit report which named him in the littoral combat ship (LCS) project.
According to The Star, a news portal had reported that the law firm Chetan Jethwani & Co sent the letter dated Sept 7 demanding the auditors to retract alleged defamatory remarks within 48 hours or face legal action.
The firm also demanded the auditors in the forensic audit report – Alliance IFA (M) Sdn Bhd – to issue an apology to Abdul Latiff , who is the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions).
PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli, on Aug 22, alleged that companies linked to the second wife of a former deputy defence minister were involved in the LCS scandal.
Rafizi had linked one “Zainab Mohd Salleh” to an offshore company with units incorporated in Malta and Labuan.
The declassified forensic report on the LCS scandal involving Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation Bhd (BHIC) named a husband-and-wife pair, Abdul Latiff Ahmad and Zainab Mohd Salleh, as the individuals linked to Alizes Marine Ltd.
The company was flagged for suspicious transactions in a spare parts deal but the report, however, did not specify who the said Abdul Latiff was, reports The Star.
The report also listed Zainab as the shareholder and director of Alizes Marine Ltd domiciled in Malta, and Intralogistics Ltd registered in Labuan, which owns Alizes Marine Labuan and Sousmarin Armada Sdn Bhd.
Abdul Latiff denied the involvement of any of his family members in the LCS Project, and had lodged a police report over the allegations.
In a reaction on August 26, Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he would leave the matter to be investigated by the authorities.
Abdul Latiff is a member of Bersatu.
-BTS Media
