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Troubles resurface for Malaysia's Najib in Europe
Sydney Morning Herald - January 30, 2016
French prosecutors have charged a French businessman involved in Malaysia's $US2 billion ($2.8 billion) purchase of two French-Spanish built submarines with paying illegal kickbacks to a Malaysian official linked to Mr Najib, according to the French news agency AFP.
Mr Najib, who was defence minister at the time of the purchase, has denied any wrongdoing but the case has been the subject of hot rumours and speculation in Malaysia's social media during his seven-year rule.
The French report named Ferrari-driving Malaysian businessman Abdul Razak Baginda?, one of Mr Najib's best friends and policy advisers, as the person who allegedly received the kickbacks.
While the submarine deal was being negotiated, Mr Baginda was the lover of 28-year-old Mongolian socialite Altantuya Shaariibuu? who was murdered by two of Mr Najib's bodyguards in a patch of jungle in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur in 2006.
Ms Shaariibuu was dragged from a car, knocked unconscious and shot twice in the head, according to court testimony.
She had begged for the life of her unborn baby and then her body was wrapped in C4 explosives and blown up, ensuring the fetus was destroyed, along with the identity of the father.
Ms Shaariibuu, who was abducted outside Mr Baginda's house, had reportedly demanded $US500,000 to remain silent about her knowledge of the submarine deal.
French authorities who opened an investigation into the submarine purchases almost four years ago have issued an indictment against Bernard Baiocco?, 72, the former president of Thales International Asia, according to an AFP report in the French language, that was translated by the Malaysiakini news website.
In 2008 a Malaysian judge sensationally dropped a charge of abetting murder against Mr Baginda, even before any evidence was heard at his trial. Lawyers expect Mr Baginda will be called to testify at a French hearing.
"We feel very encouraged and happy to hear the case has moved forward and that French investigators have arrived on a very important finding and a key French official has been formally indicted," Cynthia Gabriel from the Malaysian human rights organisation Suaram was quoted as telling Malaysiakini.
Mr Najib's police commando bodyguards were subsequently convicted and sentenced to death over Ms Shaariibuu's murder. One of them, Sirul Azhar Umar, managed to flee to Australia and is now in custody in Sydney's Villawood immigration detention centre.
Malaysia has called for his return but Australian law forbids sending suspects back to other countries to face possible execution.
Only hours after Mr Najib celebrated 40 years in politics at a party in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday evening the Swiss government also announced it had found serious indications that funds had been misappropriated from Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Corporation that Mr Najib set-up in 2009 and oversees through chairmanship of an advisory committee.
The Swiss attorney-general's office said a decision by Malaysia's attorney-general to shut down an investigation of almost $US700 million that turned up in Mr Najib's personal bank accounts in 2013 could hamper its own investigations into the matter.
"There appears to have been a sizeable fraud taking place here, and we believe [the investigation] should not be allowed to drop like this," Andre Marty, spokesman of the Office of Attorney-General was quoted telling the Wall Street Journal.
"Without assistance from Malaysia, our investigation in Switzerland risks running to a dead-end... We are very concerned." The Swiss attorney-general's office said it had reached an agreement with its Malaysian counterpart last year to support each other's investigation.
Switzerland is one of several countries investigating individuals linked to the 1Malaysia fund that is more than $US11 billion in debt.
The order last Tuesday to shut down the anti-corruption commission probe outraged opposition MPs and civil society groups.
Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali claimed the money was a donation from Saudi Arabia's royal family but the House of Saud has failed to shed any light on the matter. The anti-corruption commission subsequently said it would seek a review of Mr Apandi's decision.
Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/troubles-resurface-for-malaysias-najib-in-europe-20160130-gmhmn0.html.
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