SHAH ALAM: The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court has granted former RMN chief and Boustead head Ahmad Ramli Nor a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) from three counts of criminal breach of trust involving the littoral combat ship project, Free Malaysia Today reported today.

Judge Suzana Hussin granted the DNAA after allowing an oral application by lawyer Yusof Zainal Abiden, representing the 82-year-old accused, today.

“After considering submissions from both parties and the Kuala Lumpur Hospital’s medical report on the accused’s mental capacity, the court finds that he is unfit for trial.

“Therefore, the accused is granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal, and the bail money will be returned,” she said. For the full report go here. Ahmad Ramli retired from the RMN in 1998 before he was roped in to lead Boustead-Naval Dockyard Sdn Bhd to revive the Kedah class project in 2005.Ahmad Ramli was appointed to the board of BHIC on 17 August 2005 and served as the managing Director/Chief Executive Officer since 22 August 2005. He was redesignated as MD of the company on May 1, 2019. He resigned from Boustead later that year. He was the only person charged in connection with the troubles of the LCS project. Apart from BHIC, he also served as the managing director of BNDSB of which the three CBT charges were made against him.

His discharged came a day after Defence Minister DS Khaled Nordin announced the government (and he) was satisfied with the progress of the project. He made the statement after visiting the Lumut Naval Shipyard in Lumut, Perak on March 11.

Khaled’s statement on the project on his Facebook page:

Sebelum mengakhiri lawatan kerja saya ke Pangkalan Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) Lumut, saya telah ke limbungan Lumut Naval Shipyard (LUNAS) bagi melihat kemajuan pembinaan Kapal Tempur Pesisir (LCS) milik negara.
Kerajaan komited memastikan projek ini dapat disempurnakan sebagaimana yang dirancang. Setelah mendengar taklimat dan meninjau sendiri pelaksanaan pembinaan di limbungan, saya berpuas hati dengan kemajuan kerja yang dilaksanakan.
LCS 1 yang telah diluncurkan ke permukaan air tahun lalu, akan dapat diserahkan kepada TLDM pada bulan Ogos 2026. Manakala LCS 2, akan bersedia untuk diluncurkan pada Mei 2025 dan upacara penamaannya adalah sekitar Jun 2025.
Bagi LCS 3 pula, ia dijangka akan diluncurkan pada Januari 2026. Pembinaan LCS 4 dan LCS 5 mengikut jadual dan perbatuan yang telah ditetapkan. Tahniah kepada LUNAS kerana dapat melaksanakan tanggungjawab ini untuk negara.
Terima kasih juga kepada TLDM atas pemantauan kerja yang berterusan. Saya percaya dengan kesungguhan dan komitmen semua pihak, projek yang cukup penting untuk negara ini dapat dijayakan dan disempurnakan.

According to media reports, Khaled said that the project was slightly delayed due to the late delivery of an unnamed equipment from an original equipment manufacturer. This was the same excuse given by Khaled when he was asked about the LCS project in Parliament previously.

— Malaysian Defence

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