Ong: PKFZ culprits must be brought to book

(The Star) – Those responsible for irregularities in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project must be brought to book and every “overpaid sen” must be recovered, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said.

He said this was what the public would expect at the end of the day.

“I expect the task force on PKFZ to expedite investigation and submit its recommendations to the Port Klang Authority and Transport Ministry as soon as possible,’’ he wrote on his blog Tuesday.

He said there had been allegations that the authority had wrongly reversed its decision to release the repayment amounts due to Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd and the bondholders.

Ong said he was told that authority’s board had agreed to the repayments for two reasons.

“There was an appeal from the trustees of the bondholders indicating the consequences of non-payment and possibility of the trustees taking action,’’ he said.

Ong also pointed out that there were clear instructions from the Finance Ministry to release the amount due to Kuala Dimensi.

PKA board chairman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng had on Monday said that the board made the decision after taking into consideration the appeal from the trustees for the four bondholders.

Lee had said the payment was made without prejudice, on a reservation of rights basis and without admission of liability.

PKA would also not waver from its earlier commitment to seek legal remedies and take other appropriate action to determine its true liabilities and rights.

On June 30, PKA announced that it was deferring payment to four companies that were special vehicles set up by Kuala Dimensi pending a review of the matter by the task force.

Meanwhile, it was reported that PKA, after its board meeting on Monday, immediately made a payment of RM360mil which fell due on June 30 to two of the four companies.

The remaining RM300mil would be paid out by the end of the month to the other two companies.