Hello, I'm David Plott, Emlex's managing editor for Asia, based at our regional headquarters

here in Hong Kong. If this is your first time listening to Emlex's podcasts, a very warm welcome.

If you've tuned into our podcast before, thanks for joining us again. Today we'll be hearing a tale

of real intrigue. On the table, submarines, and suspect payments,

in a corruption scandal that stretches all the way from Putrajaya in Malaysia to Paris.

Our starting point today is Malaysia. To tell this story, we're joined now by Emlek Senior Cor Correspondent Tohanshue. Welcome to this podcast,

Hansa. Thanks, David. Hancha, this corruption scandal has quite a history. It goes back 15 years,

doesn't it, to win Malaysia purchased two submarines from France. What can you tell us about that deal?

And why was it so controversial?

Well, the deal involved the Malaysian Defence Ministries of purchase of submarines from a joint venture

between two French defense firms, the Thalas Group and the Naval Group, for 1.2 billion and 202.

At that time, the Naval group was part of DCNS, and the Malaysian

Defence Minister at that time, and you know the Malaysian Defence Ministry was involved in the

purchase. The Malaysian Defence Minister at that time was Najik Razak, and the key Malaysian

negotiator was his then advisor, Abdul Razak Baginda.

In December 2015, a French court indicted Bernard Bajotro, a former president of Thalas International Asia,

an Asian subsidiary of the Thalas Group, for quote unquote, bribery of foreign officials linked to Najib Razab, unquote.

French state prosecutors also allege that Thalas International Asia must have known that

bribes were paid either to Najib or Razab Baginda. What also makes the case very controversial

is that the French government is a significant shareholder of both French

defence companies. Okay, so this deal happened 15 years ago. Why has the scandal suddenly

sprung back to life? Well, it's just that in the past month of Seoul, there has been a lot

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