Law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had completed its investigations into the matter.

“Based on the investigation paper, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has decided not to carry out any prosecution,” he said in a written parliamentary reply to Anwar Ibrahim (PH-Port Dickson).

In June 2019, the defence ministry had lodged a report with MACC over the purchase of the six helicopters in 2015, which it had yet to receive at that time.

Bernama reported that the McDonnell Douglas MD530G lightweight combat helicopters were supposed to be delivered in two phases, with two in July 2017 and the rest in December 2018.

The helicopters were eventually delivered in February this year.

Anwar had also asked Wan Junaidi for updates on MACC’s probe into the procurement contracts for six littoral combat ships (LCS) to be built by Boustead Naval Shipyard.

Yesterday, The Star quoted deputy defence minister Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz as saying MACC had completed its investigation into the matter with recommendations made to the AGC.

He said it was now up to the attorney-general (AG) to decide on the next course of action.

However, in his parliamentary written reply, Wan Junaidi said MACC’s probe into the LCS ships was ongoing.

“MACC has called up witnesses from various parties, including the defence ministry,” he said in the written reply posted on the Parliament website yesterday.

When contacted, Wan Junaidi told FMT he was not privy to MACC’s operational matters.

“MACC submitted its investigation paper to the AG for a decision. The AG has the sole and constitutional authority to decide on the case.

“Further, if the deputy public prosecutor considers that the investigation paper is not complete, they have the right to direct MACC to carry out further investigations. I am not privy to all these processes to comment,” he said.

FMT has reached out to MACC chief Azam Baki for clarification.