KUALA LUMPUR: The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) has recommended disciplinary action and a police report over misconduct involving Fisheries Department officers in Johor.
The commission said investigations were launched following complaints involving two separate cases.
The first related to the reinstatement of tin-plates on Zone C fishing vessels in Tanjung Sedili, while the second concerned procedural violations in Pontian involving a Zone B vessel.
“For the Tanjung Sedili case, the officer instructed the vessel owner to reinstall a tin plate that had been removed without authorisation.
“This action contravened Licensing Circular No. 10/2018, which governs the replacement of tin-plates,” it said in a statement today
However, the commission said that the officer did not act in bad faith.
“The EAIC’s investigation found that the action was not carried out with malicious intent, and the Fisheries Department’s engineering division confirmed that the vessel involved was the original vessel.”
But EIAC said the second case revealed more serious breaches.
“The investigation found offences involving violations of policy and procedures in the application and approval of base transfers, modifications, engine replacements, and licence transfers for a Zone B vessel by the Pontian Fisheries Department.
“There was falsification of documents by parties involved in the applications.”
Approvals also involved Fisheries Department officers in Klang, despite the applications being in breach of departmental policies.
The EAIC said it had referred its findings to the Fisheries Department’s disciplinary authority.
“This recommendation was made based on several identified offences, including inefficiency, dishonesty, irresponsibility, and negligence in carrying out duties,
It added that the Fisheries Department should also file a police report.
“The criminal element of falsification of information also involved several Fisheries Department officers suspected of colluding to support the application, despite being aware that the information submitted was false.”
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