Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today the action taken on the disappearance of the F-5E jet engines owned by the Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) was based on investigations

conducted by the armed forces provost marshal and the police.

NONE "We don't want to be accused of only catching the small fry and letting the big fish go. We will take action on those who are guilty based on investigations done by both parties," he said.

Speaking to reporters after presenting diplomas at the Armed Forces Defence College in Kuala Lumpur, he said the report on the missing engines was made on the order of Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was then the defence minister.

Najib had asked for a police report to be lodged on the same day he received the report there was no cover-up of the facts of the case, he said.

No top guns involved

    

Ahmad Zahid said no personnel above the rank of sergeant was involved in the case.

NONE On Wednesday, RMAF sergeant N Tharmendran, 42, pleaded not guilty in the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court to conspiring with senior airman, Mohamad Shukri Mohamad Yusop, to steal the two J8521-type engines from the Kuala Lumpur RMAF Material Processing Shed, MATRA 1, in Sungai Besi.

The director of a supply company, K Rajandran Prasad, 38, also claimed guilty to conspiring and disposing of the two engines.

The government is now attempting to recover the two engines which have been detected in Uruguay.

- Bernama