Up, Close and Personal With Bourdon

ARCHIVES 2011

By Aurora On Jul 16, 2011

Next Thursday, French lawyer William Bourdon will be in Penang to give an exclusive presentation to disclose how even “bigger” commissions were paid to “extremely high level” government officials in Malaysia related to the purchase of two submarines in 2002.

Many have been shocked by the potentially explosive scandal in Malaysia over the billion-dollar purchase of French submarines, a deal engineered by then Defense Minister Najib Tun Razak. The Scorpene submarines are at the very heart of the continuing controversy over the death of Altantuya Shaariibuu, a 28-year old Mongolian translator who was cruelly and brutally C4-ed to her tragic death.

However, many may not know that French lawyers William Bourdon, Renaud Semerdjian and Joseph Breham filed two requests with Parisian prosecutors on Dec. 4, 2009 and Feb. 23 2010 on behalf of the Malaysian human rights organization Suaram to investigate bribery and kickbacks from the deal.

For over two years, Parisian prosecutors, led by investigating judges Francoise Besset Francoise Besset and Jean-Christophe Hullin, have been gingerly investigating allegations involving senior French political figures and the sales of submarines and other weaponry to governments all over the world. French news reports have said the prosecutors have backed away from some of the most serious charges out of concern for the political fallout.

On the Malaysian front, Ops Scorpene has been launched to raise funds and awareness for these concerned parties to further pursue the case in the French courts. It hopes to question arms spending and transparency in arms procurement in the country.

However, funds are needed to finance the legal costs in French courts. As such, Ops Scorpene aims to raise RM100,000 via events planned during the visit of the French lawyers to Malaysia.

This is where YOU can play a very important role to see that justice and truth prevails. Far above all the coffee shop discussions or online rants, this is YOUR CHANCE to play an active role in unravelling truth.

Organized by KL-based human rights NGO Suaram, a fund-raising dinner will be held in Penang during the French lawyer’s visit to Malaysia to better inform ordinary citizens and Civil Society Organisations on the facts of the scandal that shook the nation.

Other speakers include Cynthia Gabriel (SUARAM), Lim Kiat Siang (DAP), Tian Chua (PKR), and Mat Sabu (PAS).

Date: 21 July 2011 (Thursday)

Time: 8.00p.m.

Venue: Banquet Hall Function Room 2, Level 4, Sunshine Square complex, Penang

Vegetarian Dinner

A table for 10 persons is priced at :

Table class A — RM 5000

Table class B — RM 3000

Table class C — RM 2000

Table class D — RM 1000

Table class E — RM 500

Individual tickets at RM50 each are also available for sale. Tickets are also available at the door.

HOW TO PURCHASE TICKETS – Bank in your payment at:

SUARAM ACCOUNT at SUARA INISIATIF SDN BHD, A/C No: 0300 0065 200, Hong Leong Bank

For international donor: (swift code) HLBBMYKL

Please notify us after made your payment!!! PLS SEND YOUR BANK TRANSACTION TO US.

Call to – 0163211934

Email to – [email protected]

If you cannot be there for one reason or another, please feel free to contribute your donations. Your presence, support and/or kind and generous response is deeply appreciated.

PLEASE JOIN US. See you there at the dinner!

For further information, write to [email protected] or [email protected] or contact Ong Jing Cheng at 012-7583779.