French lawyer William Bourdon was deported for breaching conditions in his social visit pass, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told Parliament.

In a written reply to Batu MP Tian Chua, Hishammuddin said Bourdon had breached Section 39(b) of the Immigration Rules 1963.

The law states that any person who without reasonable cause breaches any condition imposed on a pass would be liable to a maximum six-month jail term, a maximum RM1,000 fine or both.

No explanation on the nature of Bourdon’s alleged offence was given in the written reply.

azlan Speaking to reporters later, Tian Chua said the government appeared to be afraid of Bourdon and the impending trial in France on the sale of two Scorpene class submarines to Malaysia.

He said Bourdon was in Malaysia merely to attend a fund-raising dinner for the case in Petaling Jaya on July 11.

“I am not sure why the government is so afraid. As a professional, Bourdon will not reveal information that has not been presented in court.

“(The deportation) shows that Malaysia is afraid of this case, as though there is something to hide,” Tian Chua told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

Bourdon is leading a three-member team probing Malaysia’s RM7.3 billion purchase of two submarines from French firm DCNS for human rights organisation Suaram.

Suaram took up the case after DCNS was alleged to have paid kickbacks to foreign government officials in a number of other countries in relations to arms sales.

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