New Government in Malaysia guarantees French prosecutors full cooperation in Scorpene corruption investigation-Consequences for Australian Government, ANZ

by Ganesh Sahathevan

The Malaysian and French Governments will jointly investigate the award of Scorpene submarine contracts to DCNS (now Naval Group) by the recently deposed government of Najib Razak:

Malaysian national news agency Bernama reported yesterday :

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng today met French Ambassador Frédéric Laplanche who disclosed that the French judicial system is pursuing the €1 billion (RM4.66 billion) Scorpene submarine corruption scandal.

This, however, did not extend to the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case, which does not involve the French authorities and jurisdiction, the minister said on the Ministry of Finance’s Facebook account.

Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was the defence minister in 2002 when the deal for the submarines was sealed between France and Malaysia.

“(I had) interesting discussions with the French Ambassador Frédéric Laplanche on common areas of interest that can foster closer ties between our two people.

The above comes just after this report, quoting the new Minister For Defence, Mat Sabu:

Malaysia will form a special investigative task force to look into major issues raised by the people - including a French Scorpene submarine deal done during former prime minister Najib Razak's time as defence minister.

"We will create an investigative task force and the form of that task force will be discussed in Cabinet," newly installed defence minister Mohamad Sabu said on Monday (Jun 4), when asked if his ministry will look into the Scorpene case.

All this cannot be good for PM Turnbull, Defence Minister Marise Payne, and Christopher Pyne.Many involved in the Malaysian deal were also involved in putting together the Australian DCNS deal:

DCNS's Philippe Japiot charged with corruption, spent much time in Australia before the award of the Australian AUD 50 Billion contract 

And there may also be problems for ANZ,as previously reported on this blog:

Friday, August 4, 2017

Monsieur Gonski and the ANZ board have a DCNS money laundering problem,added to the 1MDB scandal

by Ganesh Sahathevan

The payments below from DCNS of France appear to have also been laundered via PM Najib's AMBank accounts, which like it or not,were and are being managed by ANZ.

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Najib's other 1MDB,or DCNS money? USD 300 million which he did not deny receiving, but which the DOJ has not located. How much in Hong Kong, and is this a missing Scorpene link?

by Ganesh Sahathevan




Monies were transferred from Najib's AMislamic Bank 
and Singapore   accounts to accounts at Credit Suisse's
 branch in Hong Kong:(see story below)


The latest US DOJ complaint not only demolished what was left of the "Saudi donor" story, it also showed how some of that USD 700 million from 1 MDB was used to  buy the USD 25 Million Rosmah Pink.

However,there is a further USD 300 million which even the DOJ seems to know nothing of.That additional sum was reported in the ABC 4 Corners story by LInton Besser ,aired last year:

LINTON BESSER: The Malaysian government says Najib Razak has returned more than US$600 million dollars he received in 2013 and closed two of his accounts.

But Four Corners has established that three new accounts were opened in the prime minister's name and the money just kept on pouring in.

In June 2014, for example, the bank was notified of another 50 million British pounds that was to be wired into the prime minister's name. There were also a series of cash deposits that raised money laundering alerts here inside the bank.

A high-level source has shown Four Corners the Malaysian prime minister's bank accounts. The banking documents reveal an extraordinary and steady flow of money between 2011 and 2014.

By June 26, 2012, the bank records show deposits worth US$75 million from a Saudi prince, US$80 million from the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Finance and another US$120 million from a shell company in the British Virgin Islands.

On the 21st of March, 2013, the prime minister received US$620 million from a different company registered there. Four days later, the same donor deposited another US$61 million.

By the 10th of April, 2013, the prime minister had received more than US$1 billion.

The Malaysian Government did not dispute the above facts, and instead bragged that the ABC story only proved that the money in Najib's account was from the Saudis.That assertion was based on the bank statements shown to the ABC's Besser,which were part of the story that went to air.

We now know that the documents were false with regards the source of funds. The sums on the other hand seem to be accurate. This blog has reported the existence of Najib's accounts in Hong Kong so it is only logical to ask if that HK accounts have been used to launder the funds.

Given the French Scorpene indictment, it must also be asked if those accounts have been used to launder funds said to have been received by Najib fron DCNS.

END 

References 

French list Malaysian PM Najib Razak in bribery case file

• The Australian
• 12:00AM February 6, 2016
• Save

• 
  AMANDA HODGE

  

  South East Asia correspondent

  Jakarta

  @hodgeamanda

  
  

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is facing a new front in a multi-billion-dollar corruption scandal bedevilling his administration, with French investigators probing whether he received bribes as defence minister in a $1.2 billion submarine contract.

The investigation centres on Thales International Asia’s 2002 contract to deliver two submarines to the Malaysian government and whether the company’s former president, Bernard Baiocco, indirectly paid kickbacks to Mr Najib to secure the deal.

Mr Baiocco was indicted last December for allegedly paying commissions to Abdul Razak ­Baginda, a political analyst purportedly close friend of Mr Najib.

But Britain’s Financial Times cited sources close to the investigation — including Mr Baiocco’s lawyer Jean-Yves Le Borgne — confirming that judicial documents also named Mr Najib as a suspected recipient.

All three men have denied any wrongdoing, with Mr Baginda telling the Financial Times he received $US47 million in legitimate consulting fees for his role in securing the Scorpene submarine deal but paid no bribes.

A Malaysian government spokesman dismissed the ­allegations as “baseless smears for political gain”, saying Mr Najib had received no correspondence from French prosecutors.

The Paris probe come less than a fortnight after Malaysian Attorney-General Mohamad Apandi Ali cleared Mr Najib over a $US681m transfer into his bank account from accounts connected with the 1MDB state investment fund.

Mr Apandi found the money was a personal gift from the Saudi royal family to help fund Mr Najib’s 2013 election campaign and to counter the influence of ­Islamic extremism in Malaysia — an explanation Riyadh has refused to confirm or deny.

However, the Sarawak Report, an online journalism site which has led coverage of 1MDB scandal, offered an alternative narrative. It alleged the single Saudi source cited in some reports to have confirmed the gift was Nawaf Obaid, a spin doctor employed on occasions and at some cost by the Malaysian government to bolster its image.

The former spin doctor, who previously held a post in the Saudi regime, is also connected with PetroSaudi, a Middle East oil company implicated in the ­alleged misappropriation of as much as $US4 billion from 1MDB, through his brother Tarek Obaid who was its former director, the report claimed.

PetroSaudi is now under ­investigation by Swiss, Singaporean and US agencies on suspicion of having helped siphon hundreds of millions from 1MDB.

The Sarawak Report claims to have traced the money trail from PetroSaudi’s own emails, thanks to former PetroSaudi employee turned whistleblower Xavier Justo, who is in a Thai jail for blackmailing his former ­employer.

It also questions suggestions the donation to Mr Najib may have come in part from the late Saudi king Abdullah’s seventh son Prince Turki, a 50 per cent shareholder in PetroSaudi, citing JPMorgan confirmation statements showing $US77m actually flowed out of 1MDB into Prince Turki’s accounts.

While Mr Najib has urged ­Malaysians to accept his exoneration and move on from the issue, the Paris probe means the Prime Minister is facing another front in his battle to remain in power.

He has already removed officials who have questioned his ­involvement in the 1MDB affair, and this week forced the resignation of Mukhriz Mahathir, chief minister of Kedah State and son of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Both men have played key roles in a so-far unsuccessful campaign within the ruling UMNO party to unseat Mr Najib.

The Scorpene submarine deal now under French investigation is notorious in Malaysia because of its link to the murder of a young Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaaribu. Shaaribu had been in a ­relationship with Mr Baginda and acted as a translator during the deal but later accused him of failing to pay her $500,000 fee.

Sirul Azhar Umar, one of two police officers from a government close protection unit convicted of her murder but freed on bail pending an appeal, fled to Australia where he is being held in Sydney’s Villawood detention centre.

Rumours that both Mr Baginda and the Prime Minister himself were linked to her murder have dogged Mr Najib, though both were cleared of involvement during a 2008 trial.

===================================================

SEP

3

PM Najib's RM 1.125 Billion in HK & Tan Sri Larry Low ,faher of Jho 

by Ganesh Sahathevan

Overlooked in this week's reporting is this revelation ,with regards a  report lodged with Hong Kong Police by UMNO whistle-blower Khairuddin Hassan:


Four other companies are also suspect, added Khairuddin, because Najib is a signatory here and the accounts of the companies show that a total of RM1.125 billion has been kept at the Hong Kong branch of Credit Suisse. “I have requested the Hong Kong police to conduct comprehensive and detailed investigations on the financial sources of the companies concerned and their transactions.”
“I requested the authorities concerned to investigate Alliance Assets International Ltd; Cityfield Enterprises Ltd; Bartingale International Ltd; Wonder Quest Investments Ltd. All these companies have Najib as the signatory.

Khairuddin, at the same time, also lodged another set of police reports on Jynwell Capital (HK); Jynwell Charitable Foundation; and Strategic Resources (Global Ltd), all owned by Jho Low and family.


It has been established that the report included this document,which suggests that monies were transferred from Najib's AMislamic Bank and Singapore   accounts to accounts at Credit Suisse's branch in Hong Kong:

 The report against Larry Low concerns the Low family's takeover of Coastal Energy , a company formerly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.It has been alleged that the takeover was funded in part with funds from 1 MDB.The report points the finger at Tan Sri Larry Low as the mastermind of his son Jho Low's adventures. The reports taken together suggest  a base of operations  in Hong Kong.
END

Posted 3rd September 2015 by Anonymous

Dr M warns hasty bid to charge Najib may see him go free-Yes but why have Azman Hashim and AMBank not been raided,assets and documents secured?

by Ganesh Sahathevan

It is obvious that  hastty bid to charge Najib may see him go free,but why is there no action at Ground Zero, AmBank?





That Ambank is Ground Zero for the 1MDB theft is clear to see from the above transaction. Mahathir and government must not be seen to be taking the Australian path of protecting the main players.

See Banking Spin Starts commentary from Sarawak Report.


Why has the executive chairman Azman Hashim not  being questioned? Why has AMBank not been raided, and all relevant documents secured?

Dr M warns hasty bid to charge Najib may see him go free

10 Jun 2018, 10:14 pm (Updated 10 Jun 2018, 10:23 pm)

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has warned that a hasty attempt to charge his predecessor Najib Abdul Razak over the 1MDB scandal may see him go free.

"Loads of people are awaiting - when are we going to arrest Najib. But it is not so easy, we need to collect the kind of evidence that will stand up in court.

"If we fail to do that, he might win. Just think what would happen if he wins a trial and is found not guilty.

"Then all the promises we made, all the bad things we said about him would be questioned by the people who voted us in," he told a dinner event with the Malaysian diaspora in Japan tonight.

Mahathir said the government wanted to ensure there was strong evidence to secure a guilty verdict.

"We hope we will be able to gather enough evidence to charge him in court and hopefully he will be found guilty.

"We don't know because unlike the previous government, we don't have any influence over the courts.

"We have decided we will be truly democratic in the sense that the people's choice must be respected, we must understand democratic rules and procedures and we must not take power in our hands," he said.

Mahathir, who previously served as prime minister from 1981 to 2003 and was then accused of being an authoritarian leader, said his new government will ensure there is no concentration of power.

"Power in the country must be divided between the legislative, executive and judiciary.

"This kind of check and balance can make sure that none of us does the wrong things so that it will not be easy for us to ride roughshod over the country and just throw people into jail.

"So, I think that would be a relieve to Najib," he said.

Mahathir, in his speech, also defended the government's decision to impose a travel ban on Najib.

"Loads of people nowadays disappear. Even 'Jamal Tongkol' has disappeared," he said in reference to Sungai Besar Umno chief Jamal Md Yunos who is wanted by police but had reportedly fled to Indonesia.

"We don't know who else is going to disappear but we hope before they can disappear, we can go through the law of the country and punish the people who broke the law," he said.

Time to retake Luconia Shoals,Ananda Krishnan's Pexco should lead the way

by Ganesh Sahathevan

Self explanatory ,given the change in government ,and the urgent need to dismantle Najib Razak's China-South China Sea deals.

realpolitikasia

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Najib's Luconia Shoals surrender puts Ananda and Pexco's Sarawak concessions in the middle of the proverbial......

by Ganesh Sahathevan

Malaysia's virtual surrender of Luconia Shoals will have implications for oil concessions in the surrounding area, now only nominally granted by Petronas. The largest of these (their words, not mine) is the acerage granted Ananda Krishnan's Pexco. At least one of Pexco's concessions, labelled Block 3 in a Marine Sarawak document, lies just 68.25 nautical miles south west of the North Shoals.

China may or may not be within its rights to declare anything, including the Pexco concessions,within its Luconina Shoals EEZ, but that is not the point when considering the actions of a country that has shown it is happy to ignore international laws, norms and customs.

Poor Ananda, all this even after contributing RM 2 billion to the 1 MDB resuce..........

END 

Reference 

Pedra Branca/Batu Puteh decision suggests Malaysia has surrendered right to Luconia-removing own flag from Luconia Shoals in stark contrast with past practise

by Ganesh Sahathevan

These submissions by the  Government Of Singapore to the International Court Of Justice in the Pedra Branca/Batu Puteh matter were part of Singapore's ultimately successful defence against Malaysia's claim:

6.53 It should be noted that Malaysia has demonstrated her awareness of the significance of flying national emblems over territory for purposes of evidencing sovereignty. Malaysia demanded (and obtained) the lowering of the Singapore Ensign flown until 3 September 1968 over another lighthouse facility maintained by Singapore at Pulau Pisang, a territory over which Singapore does not exercise or claim sovereignty.

7.11 In the present case, neither Johor nor Malaysia ever protested against the regular flying of the British and Singapore emblems over Pedra Branca, even though this was done as a clear display of State authority and without seeking consent from Malaysia or Johor, and Malaysian officials were fully aware of this. 

7.12 Moreover, Malaysia’s long silence regarding this clear and public manifestation of Singapore’s sovereignty over Pedra Branca since 1847 is in sharp contrast to Malaysia’s response to the flying of the Singapore marine ensign on the lighthouse administered by Singapore at Pulau Pisang, an island which belongs to Malaysia. In 1968, Malaysia objected to the flying of the Singapore flag over Pulau Pisang Lighthouse320. Following Malaysia’s objection, Singapore ceased flying her flag on the Lighthouse. In contrast, at no time had Malaysia ever protested against Singapore’s flying of her flag over Pedra Branca. 7.13 If Malaysia had any belief that she had a claim to sovereignty over Pedra Branca, one would have expected Malaysia to have exercised or attempted to exercise her sovereign authority over the island in the same way that she had done with respect to Pulau Pisang, if only to put on record that, notwithstanding Singapore’s presence on Pedra Branca, Malaysia had sovereign authority over the island. This omission on Malaysia’s part is especially significant as it occurred shortly after Singapore left the Federation of Malaysia in August 1965, when the governments of both countries treated each other with the utmost caution on bilateral issues. 

7.14 Singapore contends that, given these facts, Malaysia had consciously (and correctly) decided that, in contrast with Pulau Pisang, any protest was not appropriate with respect to the flying of the Singapore flag on Pedra Branca. 

Given that these arguments led to the decision against Malaysia, one would expect that the Government Of Malaysia would exercise and strenuously defend its right to fly the flag on all its possessions, but this was obviously not the case with Luconia Shoals.  It is hard to see that by removing its own flag, Malaysia has not surrendered its right to the Shoals.

In fact, it does seem as if China has already assumed control of the shoals:

(Hans Berekoven, an Australian  marine archaeologist) chose Malaysia's independence day, August 31 last year, to protest against the situation by raising the Malaysian flag on the tiny island.

It is the first time the video of the incident has been released.

"I took the curator of the museum that we're working with, and a couple of other Malaysian friends, and a journalist from the Borneo Post," he said.

They mounted a stainless steel flagpole into a cement footing and raised the Malaysian flag, as the China Coast Guard vessel watched from about 500m offshore.

"They must have got on the blower to Beijing and Beijing must have got on the blower to Kuala Lumpur, because suddenly there was a big kerfuffle in KL," Mr Berekoven said.

The next morning, a Malaysian aircraft flew low over Mr Berekoven's boat and the island.

"A Malaysian coast guard vessel was despatched. Went out there and unbolted the flag," he said.

"It's absolutely absurd. It's 88 miles, well within the 200 mile economic exclusion zone, and they've forced the Malaysians to take the flag down — their flag, asserting their authority, their sovereignty."

END 

Reference

ABC Australia reports that Malaysia surrendered special rights to Luconia Shoals to China : Rights to adjoining EEZ may be lost

1MDB: New AG not likely to find much at his AG's Chambers

by Ganesh Sahathevan


As reported, on the matter of new Malaysian AG Tommy Thomas and 1MDB:

The new Attorney General said that all matters pertaining to 1MDB are the immediate priority of the Government.

"I have to study the papers in that scandal. We shall institute criminal and civil proceedings in our courts against the alleged wrongdoers. All are equal before the law and no one is spared," he said when he reported to work at the AG's Chambers at Presint 4 on Wednesday (June 6).

This is a nice sentiment , and very sensible ,except that the 1MDB case is exceptional in that the Malaysian Attorney General and all other regulatory authorities were determined not to know anything.
Consequently , much of the information is with foreign agencies, and in the public domain. Here s but one example:

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Najib & Rosmah conducted 1MDB business on their own Why not seize the assets of Low Hock Peng,Robin Tan ,and Bustari Yusof who were also present ?

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Najib & Rosmah conducted 1MDB business on their own :Why not seize the assets of Low Hock Peng,Vincent  Tan ,and Bustari Yusof who were also present ?

by Ganesh Sahathevan

Larry Low Hock Peng 

Tan Sri Bustari Yusof

Vincent Tan Chee Yioun 

The IPIC "settlement" seems shaky,and the China "rescue" seems to have fallen apart.

A realistic avenue for the recovery of Malaysian taxpayers' money lost in the 1MDB debacle is needed, and while the US DOJ has an action to do so in play, Malaysians really ought to be helping themselves.

One possible solution may be the seizure of all and any assets held by Low Hock Peng (head of the Low Family,and father of Jho) ,Vincent Tan( head of the Berjaya Group of companies,  father of Robin  Tan) and Datuk Bustari Yusof of Sarawak.

As reported previously on this blog and by Sarawak Report, PM Najib and wife Rosmah illegally conducted 1MDB business with PetroSaudi on their own.It was also reported that those present during those dealings included  Jho Low, Robin Tan,and Bustari Yusof. Arguing that Jho and Robin's presence had nothing to do with their families' business interests would be akin to splitting what  hairs one might find on  Arul Kanda's head, which seems to be in danger of being axed.

It is more likely than not that all three were parties to the business that was conducted,despite not having anything to do with 1MDB.

It follows then that the assets of all three, who represent their families, could be seized as a means of recovering what has been lost from 1MDB.

There are likely to be a number of legal means that might be relied on for the purpose, but Vincent Tan and family,  and Bustari Yusof both are recipients of very lucrative government concessions that may be withdrawn at any time. These could be seized, placed in some form of public trust, and the proceeds used to recoup the 1MDB losses.

As with regards Larry Low Hock Peng and family, is it not time to drop the pretence that they are  "old money" philanthropists? The same may be said of PM Najib, whose own brothers rejected his claim of "legacy family assets".

END





Photos show Najib, Rosmah , conducted 1MDB business with PetroSaudi on their own, without 1MDB management, or board present 

by Ganesh Sahathevan 

The photo above obtained by Sarawak Report shows PM Najib, wife Rosmah and Petrosaudi's Prince Turki Abdullah and Tarek Obeid in discussion, on board a yacht somewhere off the coast of the south of France.

Clearly visible in the photo are three sets of documents,which appear to be some form of prospectus (using that term in its broadest sense). Interestingly, Rosmah Mansor has her own copy. Obviously, this was no friendly holiday chat over drinks while taking in the sea breeze; detailed business matters were being discussed.

In its own words, PetroSaudi's business dealings in Malaysia have been with 1MDB,and hence it is hard to see that the above discussion did not concern 1MDB. 

The implications for Najib are obvious. To begin with the photo belies the(in any case idiotic) claim made by his  lawyer that his  "signature on 1MDB documents (is)a formality, doesn’t mean he decides or knows all." Consequently this photo adds to the existing evidence that puts him at the very centre of the 1MDB theft. 

Then , the apparent involvement of Rosmah in 1MDB's affairs does seem to confirm the allegations regarding  her, and her son Riza's dealings in 1MDB's cash assets.It is hard to see how Najib , or Rosmah can justify her being involved in discussions concerning 1MDB.

END 

Reference -Sarawak Report

"Innocent Owner" Riza Aziz 

Attended Yacht Meeting Before 

Good Star Heist - EXCLUSIVE

• 21 February 2017
       
• 16 comments

Last week in California the Prime Minister’s step-son, Riza Aziz, filed a notice to

 dismiss the US Department of Justice’s seizure of his properties on the grounds that

 he was the “innocent owner” and could not be held responsible for the fact the money was stolen from 1MDB.

Motion to dismiss by Riza’s lawyers

Those properties include a Beverly Hills mansion, the film production company Red Granite’s future earnings from Wolf of Wall Street, a London Belgravia town house and a New York penthouse.

What this defence contends is that Riza had simply no idea that the hundreds of millions that suddenly started coming his way was not stolen, but thought it was a gift. For this reason he reckons he should be allowed to hang on to all the items bought with Malaysia’s stolen development money (money which the Malaysian tax payer is now faced with paying back to the original lenders at high interest rates).

Yet Sarawak Report has established new evidence that Riza was in from the very start on the 1MDB heist, in that he was invited to attend the meeting where the first ‘joint venture’ was cooked up between Jho Low, the Prime Minister and company PetroSaudi on the super-yacht Tatoosh in August 2009.

A trip manifest reveals that the jaunt, which took place between 15-20th August, was organised by a “high-end boutique concierge company” named Baroque, of which Jho Low was a member. According to the note made by the representative for Baroque, Sahle Ghebreyesus, the trip was in fact commissioned by his client Jho Low (whom he describes on the manifest as “my guy”). In March the following year Tarek Obaid also joined Baroque, which is an agency designed to pamper the super-rich:

High-end boutique concierge company that organised the rental of Tatoosh

Photographs later obtained by Sarawak Report show the main players behind the theft of the first billion from 1MDB through the PetroSaudi ‘joint venture’, which was strategised during this super-yacht meeting.

However, we can now confirm that Riza Aziz also joined the party, along with Najib’s key financial cronies Bustari Yusof and Robin Tan.  Robin Tan is the son of Vincent Tan, long associated with BN political funding, and Bustari is the Sarawak PPB party treasurer cum billionaire, who was handed the ‘turnkey contract’ for the Pan Borneo Highway project and whose brother Fadillah has now been appointed Minister for Public Works.

This gives the Bustari brothers control over all the big contracts handed out by the Government, in Malaysia’s notoriously corrupted procurement process and Bustari has rarely strayed from Najib’s side in recent months.

‘My guy” Jho Low fixed the trip. “innocent owner” Riza Aziz was also on board

Did Riza have simply no idea what was going on as these guys did the business which was soon to send money streaming his way?

It was just a few short months later that he went on to launch his production company Red Granite Pictures at the most lavish launch party ever seen at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010.

And over the next two years Jho Low was at Riza’s side at every major film event involving Red Granite Pictures, including Wolf of Wall Street, which was funded by yet more money stolen from 1MDB, thanks to the later ‘Power Purchase Loan’ manoeuvres also organised by Jho Low.

According to the New York Times, Low was furthermore directly involved in the purchase of both of Riza’s US properties in Hollywood and New York. Did Riza simply fail to realise what was going on?

There can only be two conclusions. Either Riza is lying and he did know or Riza is a sad and stupid creature, who was merely used as a front and proxy by the players behind the scandal, which included his friend Jho Low and step-dad Najib.

He is therefore EITHER innocent OR the owner.  He cannot be the “innocent owner”!

left to right – Tarek Obaid, Prince Turki and Najib Razak – the three named Shareholders of the 1MDB PetroSaudi Joint Venture meeting a month before the deal on the yacht Tatoosh.

Sarawak Report requests that various journalists, authors and film

 makers, who seek to use this site as their resource for commercial 

projects such as books and documentaries give full credit to this blog, acknowledge copyright and do not seek to apply for awards, 

commissions etc without so doing.