The report said the police’s management of missing assets was unsatisfactory, noting the late discovery of missing assets, the delay in reporting losses to the department head and to the police, the department head’s delay in preparing an initial report on the missing assets, and the delay in action following a report on missing assets.

“In the auditor’s opinion, the management of PDRM’s missing assets is unsatisfactory because there are still many missing cases in 2010 and 2011 that have yet to be solved, as well as surcharges that have yet to be collected,” stated the Auditor-General’s 2012 report released today, referring to the police force with its Bahasa Malaysia initials. “Besides that, records in Bukit Aman and state police contingent headquarters containing information on missing assets and the status of investigations need to be coordinated,” it added. The report noted that between 2010 and 2012, the police lost 156 units of handcuffs, 44 firearms, 29 vehicles, 26 walkie-talkies, 22 radios, six cameras, four computers, one cellphone, and 21 unspecified items.

Out of 95 cases of missing assets in 2012, only two of the missing items were found. In 2011, 17.8 per cent of 45 cases were resolved and written off, and in 2010 43.8 per cent of 73.

Between 2010 and 2012, surcharges of RM63,346 were slapped on errant officers in 30 cases, and RM6,879, or 11 per cent, collected at the end of 2012.

An audit on 88 cases of missing assets in the police headquarters and three police contingent headquarters revealed that the actual date for when 92 units of handcuffs, a mobile card reader and a walkie talkie — worth RM30,986 — went missing was unknown.

“The subsequent audit revealed that the missing assets were only realised during a check by an officer that started only in 2010,” said the report.

“The police were late in investigating missing asset cases and in taking action against the errant police officers.

“For example, the case of 36 missing handcuff units worth RM6,739 that was written off without slapping a surcharge on two police officers who were responsible for the loss. The case was dropped because a police officer died in 2009, while another retired in 2008,” it added.

According to the report, the police responded in May and June this year that a system would be set up to enable the Bukit Aman police headquarters to receive alerts on the loss of government assets after a police report was lodged at the contingent.

“This system will be set up by the IT and logistics departments for monitoring purposes, in terms of tracking the delay in preparing an initial report and final report,” the police said.