PETALING JAYA: The move by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to reopen a probe into the purchase of two Scorpene-class submarines from France has been welcomed by anti-graft group C4 Centre and rights body Suaram.
They said the move was a long time coming, adding that it was a “positive development”.
“We truly hope that this effort will eventually unveil the truth behind the corruption scandal. This move would facilitate the quest to bring those responsible to account,” said Cynthia Gabriel and Sevan Doraisamy, the executive directors of C4 Centre and Suaram, in a joint statement.
Suaram had filed a complaint with French authorities over the purchase.
It centres on allegations that the French submarine maker paid commission of more than €114 million to a purported shell company linked to Abdul Razak Baginda, a former close associate of Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Najib was defence minister when the US$1.1-billion deal for the two submarines was sealed.
Cynthia and Sevan, who were involved in the complaint with French investigators, said the previous government had systematically covered up the scandal.
“It is important to note we were subjected to immense intimidation and harassment for filing the case in the French court and exposing the scandal to the public.
“We were investigated by various authorities for over six months. Against all odds, we persevered,” they said.
Three years after the complaint was filed, a French court decided to launch a pre-trial investigation into the case.
Razak was later indicted in 2017.
Cynthia and Sevan said the purchase of the submarines in 2002 was one of the Barisan Nasional government’s “greatest robberies” and “reveals evidence of collusion and complicity with the top leadership of this country”. - FMT
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