New evidence on ex-MAS head Tajuddin Ramli surfaces

KUALA LUMPUR: New evidence has surfaced relating to the allegation of abuse of power and corruption involving former MAS executive chairman Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) operation evaluation panel chairman Tan Sri Hadenan Abdul Jalil said investigations are continuing.

“New evidence has surfaced,” he told newsmen here yesterday.

Pressed for more details on the new evidence, the former Auditor-General said it was the MACC that conducted the investigation and not the panel.

He said the panel’s function was to evaluate the implementation and actions of the Commission.

As such, he said, any details would have to come from the MACC.

“The panel would like to clarify that the MACC is investigating the allegation.

“Claims by certain quarters that the MACC did not investigate the allegation is therefore untrue,” he said in a prepared text.

MAS lodged a police report against Tajuddin in 2002 for allegedly causing the national carrier to suffer losses in excess of RM8bil.

Tajuddin was the executive chairman of the airline from 1994 to 2001.

According to a report to the MACC, a major contributor to the record losses was the relocation of MAS’ cargo operation in Amster­dam and Frankfurt to a single hub in Hahn, Germany, where the airline was forced to enter into a disadvantageous aircraft lease contract with a company which was later linked to Tajuddin’s family.

The new cargo hub operation had caused MAS to suffer monthly losses of between RM10mil and RM16mil before the project was terminated after the government regained control of the company in 2001.

The termination resulted in a RM300mil arbitration claim against MAS by the company.