Najib jumps from frying pan into fire

YOURSAY | ‘This PM is a magnet for scandals, misdeeds and grand corruption.’

French court indicts key person linked to Scorpene kickbacks

Res Ipsa: This Scorpene submarine kickbacks trial just the beginning and something we have long been waiting for.

Whether it is related to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak or otherwise, will be made clear once the trial commences.

The involvement of the late Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu in the submarine purchase deal, is also going to surface and send some shivers down the spines of a lot of people back home.

What's interesting is the timing of this indictment, which comes at a time when our beloved PM is furiously juggling to get over several other mega corruption scandals.

Are the French - whether intentionally or otherwise - sending a subtle message that it could be game over for Najib?

Vijay47: The French investigation documents reveal that the "foreign public official" who is alleged to be the recipient of the bribe from Thales Asia was "I don't want to be prime minister" Abdul Razak Baginda.

Najib may have known "the man" but that cannot make him responsible for what the man did, just as Najib cannot be blamed if unknown persons deposit funds into his private bank account.

There is nothing for Najib to answer and the Malaysian attorney-general, with his wide-ranging discretionary powers, can clear our prime minister of any alleged misdeeds even outside the country.

Oh Ya?: If money credited directly into Najib’s accounts can be easily explained away, then this case is chicken feed.

Even if it is proven that bribes were given, it was just between ex-Thales International Asia president Bernard Baiocco and former political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda.

Better still, it may just be said that Altantuya had swallowed it - just like the "donation" that was given by the late Saudi King Abdullah. Dead persons can't fend for themselves, can they?

GE14Now!: Wow, another act of “nobility” on the part of our most “noble” PM. It looks like they can now claim that the French are also trying to topple him.

This PM is a magnet for scandals, misdeeds and grand corruption. Does the country deserve such ill-fame? Surely, we can do better than this.

JBond: Well done, Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) director Cynthia Gabriel. It is not easy to swim against the tide.

We are all grateful and proud of you and your NGO. You should be decorated by Penang or Selangor for your tireless work.

Headhunter: "This is the moment we have been waiting for." You couldn't have said it any better, Cynthia.

Will the French trial open a can of worms? Their courts are totally independent and no evidence will be allowed to be suppressed. And will the trial eventually force the Malaysian courts to reopen the Altantuya case?

Interesting days are ahead, people. As the saying goes, you can run but you can’t hide.

Roguekiller: This is the best news I have had heard. AG Mohamed Apandi Ali, see if can use your vested power to protect your ‘master’ in France.

Home dog barks a lot, when in strange place it will act like a rat.

Negarawan: The name ‘Razak’ seems to have become synonymous with "corruption" worldwide. The spirit of Altantuya will continue to haunt those responsible for her gruesome murder until full justice is served.

FairMind: It seems odd that the givers are being indicted in their own countries while the takers are roaming free in Malaysia.

The lesson learnt is that if one in Malaysia wants to steal, better still big - steal small, you appoint your own lawyer and go to jail, steal big you have the AG as your personal lawyer and your loot is called donation.

Bumiputhran: When layers of smothered lies get peeled, like the petals of a lotus, you will find the succulent pod as the truth hidden in its inner core. And the truth can never be hidden for long.

Swipenter: After the 1MBD saga, the Scorpene scandal resurfaces with greater ferocity. There is no rest for the Bugis warrior. All the money and power in the world cannot buy you any peace of mind.

Odin Tajué: With the supposed sale of the Bandar Malaysia land, Najib happily declared on the last day of 2015 that his winter was over. Wrong. Very wrong.

To paraphrase Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, in Shakespeare's ‘Richard III’, I would venture to say:

"Now is the spring of Najib's discontent, made chopfallen autumn by this sun of Razak. And all the money that lour'd upon his house, will send him to the deep bosom of the ocean.

“Now are his brows bound with crown of thorns; His bruised arms hung down for despair; His fair alarums changed to a ghostly visage. And his father's namesake will that descent hasten."

-Mkini