'No evidence, no case': Najib denies bribery ties in French submarine deal

Summary

• Najib Abdul Razak’s legal team has denied a Bloomberg report that implicated the former prime minister in alleged bribery in the US$1.2 billion purchase of Scorpene submarines in 2002. 

• Law firm Messrs Shafee & Co says Najib has never received any illicit payments in connection with the deal, and French authorities have not proposed charges either.

• The firm adds that no proof implicating Najib has ever been produced in the case.

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s legal firm has refuted claims of his involvement in alleged bribery related to Malaysia’s purchase of Scorpene submarines in 2002.

This was in response to a Bloomberg report, which cited assertions made by French prosecutors regarding the US$1.2 billion deal.

In a statement, his legal firm Messrs Shafee & Co denied that any money associated with the procurement was meant for Najib or that he had received any illicit payments.

“The funds allegedly ‘designed to remunerate Malaysian public decision-makers’ are in no way linked to our client, Najib,” the statement read, according to New Straits Times.

The firm also emphasised that the article itself acknowledged “no evidence shows he received any of those payments”.

The firm stated that the French authorities had not proposed any charges or indictments against him, and noted that Bloomberg’s reporting did not suggest any criminal culpability on his part.

“Any insinuation to the contrary is entirely unfounded and lacks factual basis,” it added.

‘Claims speculative, illogical’

The firm also rejected accusations that Najib used his influence to block French investigators from accessing Malaysian documentation, calling such claims speculative and lacking logic.

Messrs Shafee & Co pointed out that Malaysia had undergone three different governments since 2018, all of which were politically opposed to Najib.

“Throughout this period, the MACC and various parliamentary committees have had full access to the Defence Ministry records and other official sources.

“No document has ever been produced to implicate Najib - because none exists,” it added.

Responding to mentions of Najib’s participation in procurement negotiations, his legal team stated that this involvement was part of his responsibilities as defence minister at the time.

“To recast a ministerial role as evidence of wrongdoing - without proof of personal enrichment or unlawful conduct - is not only baseless, but a mischievous attempt to mislead public opinion,” it said.

The legal firm concluded that Bloomberg’s report carried no legal consequences for Najib and should be regarded as a “non-issue” in terms of his legal position.

‘Contracts intended to benefit officials’

Bloomberg had previously noted that French financial prosecutors alleged Najib attended meetings with defence company executives to facilitate contracts for the 2002 Scorpène submarine deal.

The contracts were reportedly intended to financially benefit high-ranking Malaysian officials, including Najib’s then-adviser, Abdul Razak Baginda.

A classified document referenced in the report allegedly indicated that the structure of these contracts was intended to financially reward Najib and others. 

These claims are part of a broader probe involving French defence companies Thales SA and DCN International - now incorporated into the Paris-based Naval Group.

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