Scorpene scandal: France subpoenas Baginda’s aide
Jasbir Singh, a ‘central figure’ in the Scorpene deal has agreed to cooperate with French judiciary, said Suaram director Cynthia Gabriel.
(FMT) – A right hand man of defence analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, Jasbir Singh Chahl, is the first Malaysian to be subpoenaed as witness in the Scorpene case hearing curently underway in France.
“Jasbir Singh is a central figure in the negotiation and procument process.
“He is the first person to be served with a subpoena,” said Suaram director Cynthia Gabriel during Suaram’s Ops Scorpene fund raising dinner held at Petaling Jaya Civic Centre last night.
Gabriel claimed that Jasbir would be required to cooperate and reveal information on what had transpired in the Scorpene submarine deal that was purchased in 2002 via French submarine maker DCNS.
“He has confirmed that he would cooperate with the panel and the subpoena is being sent to his house,” Gabriel told the more than the 1,000-strong crowd present.
“The story will now come from the horse’s mouth,” Gabriel said on the purchase of two Scorpene submarines from French shipbuilding company DCNS in 2002.
Suaram lodged a complaint in November 2009 with the French courts asking for a judicial review into the Scorpene contract. The ongoing judicial inquiry at the Tribunal De Grande Instance in Paris is a result of this complaint.
The inquiry is probing alleged corruption crimes and illegal bribes involving top officials from both Malaysia and France.
The amount of money transferred to Perimekar Sdn Bhd is 550 million euros and Terasasi received 150 million euros.
Najib, Zahid, Bala also subpoenaed
Back in 2002, the Defence Ministry was led by current Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.
Gabriel also revealed that the two companies had used third countries within Europe to receive the payments.
This was done to avoid Organisation for Economic and Social Development (OECD) rules that made the transactions a crime.
“The payment to Malta included an invoice for Razak and (murdered Mongolian model and translator) Altantuya (Shaarriibuu).
“Investigations are ongoing to determine whether it is Najib Razak or Abdul Razak Baginda,” added Gabriel.
Aside from Malta that acted as third countries for transactions to take place, Gabriel also revealed the other third countries as Luxemborg, Belgium and Ireland.
Meanwhile Subang MP R Sivarasa revealed the names of others who would also be served with a subpoena notice.
They are Najib, Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi, private investigator P Balasubramaniam, Razak Baginda, Razak’s wife Mazlinda Makhzan and Razak’s father, Abdul Malim Baginda.
Both Razak and Malim are Terasasi directors. Razak is also director of Perimekar with Mazlinda.
