Prominent French lawyer Olivier Metzner, who was representing French defence firm DCNS in a judicial inquiry initiated by Malaysian human rights group Suaram, has been found dead from an apparent suicide.

 

NONE His body was found floating in the sea off his private island in Brittany, north-west of France. The police found a suicide note.  

 

Metzner ( right ) was once named France's most powerful lawyer by GQ Magazine and "greatest case lawyers" of the French bar, by head of Paris Bar Christiane Feral-Schuhl.

 

His reputation stems from representing many high profile clients, which includes Panamanian former dictator Manuel Noriega, former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin and Continental Airlines over the 2000 Concorde crash.

 

According to Bloomberg , Metzner was started his career defending gang members and became famous for freeing his clients on technicalities.

 

In the 1980s, he developed an expertise in financial law and defended businessmen and politicians caught in political party financing cases.

Scorpene inquiry

Metzner also represents the interests of DCNS - the company which sold two Scorpene submarines to Malaysia a decade ago.

 

Suaram had filed for a judicial inquiry to the French courts in 2009 over possible corruption in the Scorpene deal. 

 

The application was granted in March 2012 and the inquiry is currently being heard at the Tribunal de Grande Instance.

 

abdul razak baginda pc 201108 06 Thus far, Suaram has had access to 153 trial documents which, among others, showed a questionable payment of Euro 30 million payment to a Hong Kong-based company owned by Abdul Razak Baginda.

Abdul Razak ( left ) is best known for being a confidante to then deputy premier Najib Abdul Razak and played a key role in the procurement of the submarines.

He was acquitted of abetting the murder Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu , who was last seen outside his house before she was whisked away by Najib's bodyguards.

 

The bodyguards have been convicted of her murder.