Suaram: Gov't persecuting us over Scorpene case

Human rights group Suaram has claimed that it is being persecuted by the authorities for having filed a case in the French courts on alleged corruption in Malaysia's purchase of two Scorpene-class submarines.

"The BN government has embarked on this shameful frame-up to the extent (of) perverting the government agencies and civil servants for this purpose,” Suaram executive director E Nalini (right) said in a statement today.

“It is clear that these desperate actions by the government are attempts to discredit Suaram and its selfless service to the rakyat and to stop Suaram from revealing further damning evidence relating to the Scorpene scandal."

Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry Ismail Sabri Yaakob had repeatedly questioned Suaram’s financial sources and stated that the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) was looking at its German funding as well as possible links to currency speculator George Soros.

‘Gov’t jumping the gun’

“Suaram condemns the domestic trade minister for making a statement that Suaram will be prosecuted and that our accounts are ‘highly suspicious’ even while the investigation is still ongoing.

“Suaram has all along complied fully with the Companies Act in our dealings and our accounts are fully audited every year,” said Nalini.

On July 3 the CCM had attempted to serve a Notice of Inspection on Suaram but the NGO only received the notice 10 days later, after regulators ran into several technical glitches. 
   
Suaram on July 20 furnished CCM with the requested documents - among them information on the company’s bank statements, business activities and administrative expenses for four years beginning 2008.

On Sept 3, Ismail Sabri declared Suaram’s accounts to be “highly suspicious” and two days later CCM seized documents from Suaram’s company secretary and auditors.

Subsequently, Wisma Putra said it would summon the German envoy to explain its funding of Suaram, while Ismail Sabri said it had identified five charges under the Companies Act 1965 against Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd - the vehicle for Suaram.