Ex-PM Najib questioned over submarine deal kickbacks

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian anti-graft authorities have reopened investigations into a contentious submarine deal 16 years ago involving former prime minister Najib Razak, the latest corruption probe facing the embattled Mr Najib.

Since losing a May election, Mr Najib has been charged with multiple criminal offences and has been subject to corruption investigations, some linked to a multibillion-dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Mr Najib has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Investigators with the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) are now also looking at whether there had been any kickbacks in the sale of two Scorpeneclass submarines to Malaysia by French warship builder DCN International (DCNI) in 2002, when Mr Najib was defence minister, according to local daily The Star citing MACC sources.

One source cited by The Star said Mr Najib was summoned to give a statement on the submarine deal on Monday and that investigators will be taking statements from others, including Mr Najib’s former aide, Abdul Razak Baginda, who is being investigated by French prosecutors over the deal.

DCNI later became a new entity called DCNS, which in turn rebranded itself as

Naval Group last year. French defence company Thales owns around a third of Naval Group.

French authorities began investigating the deal after Malaysian human rights group Suaram alleged the sale resulted in some US$130 million of commissions being paid to a company linked to Mr Najib.

Last August, French prosecutors said they had placed two former executives at Thales and DCNS under preliminary investigation as part of a probe into the 2002 submarine sale.

A spokesman from Thales declined to comment at the time.

A spokesman for Naval Group also declined to comment but added: “We scrupulously respect all the relevant national and international legislation”.

Earlier investigations by Malaysian authorities did not find any evidence linking Mr Najib directly to corruption in the deal.

The 1MDB scandal was one of the major reasons for Mr Najib’s election defeat. The fund is the subject of corruption and money-laundering investigations in at least six countries.

US authorities say about US$700 million (23 billion baht) was diverted from 1MDB’s accounts into Mr Najib’s personal bank accounts.