KUALA LUMPUR: A prominent French prosecutor has refuted reports circulating in some news portals of an ongoing trial in France over allegations of corruption involving the purchase of two submarines by Malaysia.
“I am aware about all the fuss kicked up by certain media (organisations) in Malaysia over this matter, but what I can say is that this is nothing more than a trial by the media,” said Yves Charpenel, former head of prosecution in France, now a state prosecutor and an executive member of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA).
He was here to attend the four-day IAACA conference and general meeting which ended on Sunday.
Following a complaint filed in 2009 by Suaram that a French company had allegedly paid bribes to a Malaysian firm for the purchase of two Scorpene submarines in 2002, he said that two independent “investigating judges” started their investigations earlier this year.
Charpenel said it was anybody’s right to file a complaint and due to the secret nature of the investigations, some resorted to complaining to the media.
“I am aware about all the fuss kicked up by certain media (organisations) in Malaysia over this matter, but what I can say is that this is nothing more than a trial by the media,” said Yves Charpenel, former head of prosecution in France, now a state prosecutor and an executive member of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA).
He was here to attend the four-day IAACA conference and general meeting which ended on Sunday.
Following a complaint filed in 2009 by Suaram that a French company had allegedly paid bribes to a Malaysian firm for the purchase of two Scorpene submarines in 2002, he said that two independent “investigating judges” started their investigations earlier this year.
Charpenel said it was anybody’s right to file a complaint and due to the secret nature of the investigations, some resorted to complaining to the media.
