Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid has said that the Defence Secretary-General Datuk Abdu Bakar Abdullah will be among those called to assist the PAC to scrutinize the Eurocopter deal.

It is no exaggeration to say that this will be the most important investigation in PAC history, as for the first time since Merdeka 51 years ago, a major government contract – the RM2.3 billion 12 Cougar EC725 helicopter deal to replace the Nuri helicopters – will hinge on the report of the PAC following its scrutiny into the Eurocopter deal.

This is the only implication of the Cabinet decision at its meeting last Friday (17th October 2008) giving “the green light” to the PAC to investigate the Eurocopter deal.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said in Pekan on Sunday that at his suggestion, the Cabinet “has agreed” to the PAC scrutiny as “it was better for the PAC to inquire into the deal”.

Najib said: “The PAC can make its own conclusion of the purchase after studying the various issues involved in the deal.” Read the rest of this entry »