French public prosecutors probing shoddy deals in the French-Malaysian arms deals found evidence that then-defence minister Najib Abdul Razak had sought US$1 billion (RM3 billion) for local company Perimekar from French shipmaker DCN's subsidiary DCNI.
According to prosecution papers revealed by NGO Suaram today, a fax shows that Najib had asked for the amount for Perimekar as a condition for a meeting with him on July 14, 2001.
The fax dated June 1, 2001 was from Francois Dupont, the Malaysian representative for private company Thales Asia International, to one D Arnaud.
The document, one of 153 shown to Suaram, was seized by French police from the office of Henri Gide, an officer with Thales.
According to prosecution papers revealed by NGO Suaram today, a fax shows that Najib had asked for the amount for Perimekar as a condition for a meeting with him on July 14, 2001.
The fax dated June 1, 2001 was from Francois Dupont, the Malaysian representative for private company Thales Asia International, to one D Arnaud.
The document, one of 153 shown to Suaram, was seized by French police from the office of Henri Gide, an officer with Thales.
The actual copy of the fax was, however, not provided to media at the press conference today as Suaram was not allowed to take the documents out of France.
Instead, the NGO, which is pursuing a civil complaint against state-owned DCN for allegedly paying 114 million euros in defence kickbacks to Perimekar, provided media with notes by its French interpreter.
According to the notes, Dupont had in the fax detailed out chronology of visits and future actions during a visit to Malaysia, including details of “negotiation meetings with the Ministry of Defence and the management members of Perimekar”.
“(In the negotiations) two contract proposals would be mentioned (from DCNI to Perimekar as well as between Perimekar and the Malaysian government).
“(Dupont) finally indicated a meeting with Datuk Seri Najib in France on July 14, 2001 with the condition that DCNI offers a maximum sum of US$1 billion for Perimekar’s stay (in France,” it read.
Perimekar is owned by Najib’s associate Abdul Razak Baginda, who was acquitted without his defence being called of a charge of abetting in the murder of Mongolian Altantuuyaa Shariibuu.
Razak Baginda’s company paid 360,000 euros
Suaram added that another document obtained by the prosecutors also revealed that Terasasai Sdn Bhd was a company owned by Abdul Razak and his father.
Instead, the NGO, which is pursuing a civil complaint against state-owned DCN for allegedly paying 114 million euros in defence kickbacks to Perimekar, provided media with notes by its French interpreter.
According to the notes, Dupont had in the fax detailed out chronology of visits and future actions during a visit to Malaysia, including details of “negotiation meetings with the Ministry of Defence and the management members of Perimekar”.
“(In the negotiations) two contract proposals would be mentioned (from DCNI to Perimekar as well as between Perimekar and the Malaysian government).
“(Dupont) finally indicated a meeting with Datuk Seri Najib in France on July 14, 2001 with the condition that DCNI offers a maximum sum of US$1 billion for Perimekar’s stay (in France,” it read.
Perimekar is owned by Najib’s associate Abdul Razak Baginda, who was acquitted without his defence being called of a charge of abetting in the murder of Mongolian Altantuuyaa Shariibuu.
Razak Baginda’s company paid 360,000 euros
Suaram added that another document obtained by the prosecutors also revealed that Terasasai Sdn Bhd was a company owned by Abdul Razak and his father.
French prosecutors had investigated the matter following a civil complaint by Suaram against the alleged 114 million euros (RM454 million) kickback paid by French state-owned arms dealer DCN.
Prosecutors had on Aug 22, 2011 obtained an invoice faxed to Terasasi Sdn Bhd on Sep 19, 2004 to then-Thales chief executive officer Bernard Baiocco for the purpose of “success fees”.
The invoice states that the 359,450 euros (RM1.43 million) was to be paid to a bank in Petaling Jaya, while a handwritten note on the fax reads:
“Razak demande si ce SF peut etre pris en compte assez vite. Le Support Fee suit avec un rapport (Razak is asking whether the SF can be paid into the account quite urgently. The support fee follows with a report.)”
However, Suaram director Cynthia Gabriel said that prosecutors are still trying to determine if the ‘Razak’ stated in the note refers to Najib or Abdul Razak.
‘The Great Malaysian Robbery’
Referring to the case as “the Great Malaysian Robbery”, Cynthia said the prosecutors also found “a slew of companies” were formed to muddy the money trail.
“More retro-commissions have surfaced allowing the misuse of such bodies as a pilgrimage fund (Lembaga Tabung Haji) and the military pension fund (Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera).
“The Malaysian and French people have clearly been misled, cheated and robbed of their monies through blatant corruption and mismanagement of funds in the name of national safety and security,” Cynthia (right) said.
As such, Suaram demanded that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission open investigation papers on these new revelations and for the Malaysian government to cooperate with the French inquiry.
It also demands that the Defence Ministry list out to Parliament the companies involved in the procurement process involving DCN and the commissions paid.
Prosecutors had on Aug 22, 2011 obtained an invoice faxed to Terasasi Sdn Bhd on Sep 19, 2004 to then-Thales chief executive officer Bernard Baiocco for the purpose of “success fees”.
The invoice states that the 359,450 euros (RM1.43 million) was to be paid to a bank in Petaling Jaya, while a handwritten note on the fax reads:
“Razak demande si ce SF peut etre pris en compte assez vite. Le Support Fee suit avec un rapport (Razak is asking whether the SF can be paid into the account quite urgently. The support fee follows with a report.)”
However, Suaram director Cynthia Gabriel said that prosecutors are still trying to determine if the ‘Razak’ stated in the note refers to Najib or Abdul Razak.
‘The Great Malaysian Robbery’
Referring to the case as “the Great Malaysian Robbery”, Cynthia said the prosecutors also found “a slew of companies” were formed to muddy the money trail.
“More retro-commissions have surfaced allowing the misuse of such bodies as a pilgrimage fund (Lembaga Tabung Haji) and the military pension fund (Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera).“The Malaysian and French people have clearly been misled, cheated and robbed of their monies through blatant corruption and mismanagement of funds in the name of national safety and security,” Cynthia (right) said.
As such, Suaram demanded that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission open investigation papers on these new revelations and for the Malaysian government to cooperate with the French inquiry.
It also demands that the Defence Ministry list out to Parliament the companies involved in the procurement process involving DCN and the commissions paid.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.