Were the Scorpene costs deliberately understated to take the heat off Najib?

Amid accusations the government was shafting taxpayers with another dodgy transaction, the Defence ministry received an additional RM493.3 million in allocations this year, justifying the increase was needed to maintain the country’s two Scorpene submarines.

The additional amount raises the ministry’s total budget to whopping total of RM11 billion. "The main purpose is to maintain our Scorpene submarines as that expense was not included in the budget,” the Star quoted Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as saying.

Indeed, Ahmad Zahid has much to explaining to do. The submarines were purchased in 2002 when Najib Razak was the Defence minister and this is 2011, how come in the 9 years the submarines have been on the defence list of hardware, no-one had bothered to factor in the cost for maintaining the said equipment? Would it not be prudent to have foreseen the cost of maintenance and prepare early?

Kua: France will unlock Scorpene truth

Lack of faith in Malaysia's judicial system drove Suaram to seek out French lawyer, William Bourdon.

PETALING JAYA: When Kua Kia Soong says he has been concerned about arms spending in Malaysia for “a long time” he means for about four decades.

The years spent in keen observation of the government’s defence spending culminated in 1994 when he blew the whistle on the “Arms-for-Aid scandal.

The fiasco revolved around the funding of the Pergau hydroelectric dam which was linked to RM5 billion in arms sales to British overseas aid in the form of Aid and Trade Provision (ATP) funding.

Kua, who was Petaling Jaya MP for DAP at the time, was disgusted that while the British media pounced on the scandal, its Malaysian counterparts chose to turn a blind eye.

Scorpene scandal: ‘Truth to surface soon’

French lawyer William Bourdon says corruption related to the submarine deal will be exposed when a judge is picked in September to hear the case.

GEORGE TOWN: The French investigative judge who will hear the case into the Scorpene submarine scandal will be picked in September and the truth will be exposed, said prominent human rights lawyer William Bourdon.

The Frenchman said he would then have smooth access to scrutinise all documents and interview major witnesses pertaining to the submarine deal between Malaysia and France.

“I would be able to disclose more information on the case and identify those involved,” he said after a speech at Suaram’s fundraiser dubbed “Ops Scorpene” in Bayan Baru here last night.

Bad news for Najib: French police have found "crucial" Scorpene documents

French police have obtained "quite crucial documents" in the Scorpene submarines probe on whether French arms giant DCN had paid kickbacks to Malaysian officials, including Prime Minister Najib Razak, to secure the deal.

The 58-year old Najib had been the Defense minister sanctioning the acquisition in 2002. Even then, there had been much public unhappiness over the price which was seen as too expensive, and furthernore, the high-tech submarines considered as unsuitable for patrolling the country's shallow coastline. Right now, both ships are docked in Sabah and hardly used. There have also been reports of system malfunctions due to the unsuitability of the territorial waters.

"It is likely that in September we should have access to the first police conclusions from all the investigations that have taken place over the last 18 months. We know that the police seem to have obtained quite crucial documents," Asia Sentinel reported Paris-based lawyer William Bourdon assaying.