KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Aman is investigating a local company over alleged misappropriation of RM2.4mil from a pilot training programme.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said police received a report from Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) against the company, which allegedly misappropriated the funds.
"The funds were supposed to be paid to an overseas aviation academy. The losses are estimated at RM2.4mil," he said in a statement.
Comm Ramli said 10 other police reports have been lodged by the pilot trainees, who were affected by this alleged crime.
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"We are investigating under Section 409 of the Penal Code. The investigating officer is in the midst of completing several instructions by the deputy public prosecutor in order to conclude the investigation," he said.
Mara has taken action against those involved in malpractice after it was reported that millions of ringgit in pilot training funds had gone missing.
In a statement on Wednesday (Oct 23), Mara said it had lodged police reports and initiated legal proceedings against the company - Skyvax Holdings Sdn Bhd.
Mara also said it had established a partnership with the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) on April 15, 2018, to produce professional, highly skilled pilot trainees.
It said that this strategic collaboration successfully placed 39 Malaysian students in the Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) programme at the Czech Aviation Training Centre (CATC) in the Czech Republic.
Of these, 38 students have secured employment with Malaysia Airlines (MAS) immediately after completing their studies, while another student has continued studying locally and is expected to graduate by 2025.
Skyvax was entrusted with carrying out financial transactions with the CATC.
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Several groups of cadet pilots, including the 39 Mara-sponsored students, enrolled through Skyvax from 2019 to 2022, including those who were self-funded and those who obtained commercial bank loans, with fees ranging from RM400,000 to RM700,000 per person.
A father of a former pilot trainee, who wished to be referred to as Yusof (not his real name), said his son was among the Mara-sponsored students sent to Prague in November 2020.
He said Mara allocated approximately RM441,000 for each trainee at the CATC in Prague.
The funds were given to Skyvax to cover their tuition and accommodation fees.
However, the company failed to resolve the matter with CATC, leading Mara to enrol the students into local flight schools instead.
For those already in Prague, Mara provided additional funds for its sponsored students, including Yusof's son.
However, self-funded students faced issues and some had to pay CATC directly, while others returned home without completing their training due to lack of funds.
