[UPDATED] Zainab’s not my wife: Latiff denies relations to woman named in LCS scandal

KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Abdul Latiff Ahmad has categorically denied allegations that a woman linked to the littoral combat ship (LCS) controversy is his spouse.

In a brief statement today, the special functions minister dismissed the claim made by PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli earlier today, and said he is open to being investigated over the issue.

“Referring to media reports pertaining to investigations into the littoral combat ship (LCS) project, I would like to stress that Zainab Mohd Salleh is not my wife, as mentioned in the articles.

“As a member of the cabinet, I am prepared to offer my full cooperation should the authorities decide to launch further investigation,” he said today.

However, he did not deny Rafizi’s allegations that the LCS scandal is not the only one linked to the minister, who is also supposedly involved in other defence-related contracts.

Latiff, a former Umno lawmaker, was deputy defence minister from 2008 to 2013, during the earlier days of the LCS project.

Today, Rafizi revealed the alleged involvement of Zainab in the scandal, and claimed she was Latiff’s second wife, based on findings made in an internal probe into the LCS procurement. 

In a follow-up tweet by Rafizi at 3.30pm, he said the internal investigation report stated that “Zainab” is Latiff’s wife even though the minister denied it.

He said he will reveal tomorrow the relationship between Latiff, Zainab and the affected companies. 

Rafizi also clarified that the Zainab he mentioned in his earlier statement is not the CFO at oil and gas firm Dialog Group Bhd, who shares the same name.

Earlier, Rafizi also disclosed that Zainab is the shareholder of Malta-based Alizes Marine Ltd, an offshore incorporated company that allegedly siphoned millions of ringgit from the LCS project at the expense of the government.

He had said Alizes Marine’s existence was confirmed through documents in the Paradise Papers database. A check by The Vibes on the website also found Zainab as the company’s shareholder.

“I can confirm that there are various other forms of defence contracts involving Latiff, and that LCS is not the sole project involving companies linked to him.

“There are other several national defence projects that similarly involve Alizes Marine and other companies owned and controlled by Latiff or his wife.”

Rafizi said the embezzlement of LCS funds using companies linked to the then deputy defence minister was not a coincidence, and that this was why he had been demanding an explanation from both then defence minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. – The Vibes, August 22, 2022