‘Judges still probing Scorpene deal’
There was never a question of an ongoing trial as the criminal inquiry on the submarine deal is ongoing, says William Bourdan.
Anisah Shukry, FMT
The lawyer acting for human rights group Suaram in the Scorpene probe has slammed French government prosecutor Yves Charpenal for his “contradictory” statements to the media.
Yesterday, Charpenal had told national news agency Bernama that there was no ongoing trial in the 2009 multi-billion Scorpene submarine deal between Malaysia and France, as it was still under investigation by two French judges.
“I am aware about all the fuss kicked up by certain media [organisations] in Malaysia over this matter but what I can say is that this is nothing more than a trial by the media,” he was quoted as saying.
But Suaram’s lawyer William Bourdon said in a statement today that there had never been a question of an ongoing trial, as the investigating judges were still continuing their probe on the Scorpene inquiry.
“The Tribunal deGrande Instance has convened a criminal inquiry of which Suaram has been accepted as a civil party since March 2012.
“Upon completion of the inquiry will the investigating judge make the decision of whether the case goes to full trial.”
He also stressed that it was not for the prosecutor to decide if the case goes to full trial, but the two Judges, Roger Le Loire and Serge Tournaire.
“To our knowledge the current prosecutors in charge of the case have not made any such statements as suggested by Charpenel,” he said.
In April this year, the Tribunal de Grand Instance in Paris began its inquiry into Suaram’s claim that French naval firm DCNS had paid some RM452 million as a bribe to Malaysian officials to obtain a contract for two submarines.
Malaysia had paid RM6.7 billion in 2009 for the two submarines of which RM574 million was earmarked for co-ordination and support services for Perimekar Sdn Bhd, owned by Abdul Razak Baginda , a close associate of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.
Human rights groups and opposition parties have also linked the submarine purchase to the 2006 murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, a one-time lover to Abdul Razak.
But Defence Minister Ahmad Zahidi Hamidi said on Oct 6 that the Auditor-General had explained the purchase of the submarines was made according to legal procedures.
The Malaysian government is now probing Suaram for having “misleading accounts” as well as allegedly distributing bribes to a civil servant in return for national secrets – both of which Suaram has denied and labelled as “harassment” due to the probe.
The Umno-controlled daily New Straits Times has also accused Suaram, along with several other NGOs deemed opposition-friendly, of being part of a foreign plot to destabilise government.
They have denied the charges and requested evidence to back up the accusations, which NST has yet to furnish.
