THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2004
Malaysia probes alleged Libyan nuclear link
AFP
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police were on Thursday investigating a company controlled by a son of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi over allegations that it was involved in supplying parts for Libya's nuclear weapons programme.
National police chief Bakri Omar said in a statement issued to "clarify several questions and confusion" that the probe was sparked by information provided last November by US and British intelligence services
The CIA and MI-6 told Malaysia's special branch that the company, Scomi Precision Engineering Sdn Bhd (SCOPE), was supplying centrifuge components made in Malaysia for Libya's uranium-enrichment program.
SCOPE is a unit of listed oil and gas firm Scomi Group, in which the premier's son, Kamaluddin Abdullah, is the biggest shareholder. Scomi's price dropped on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Thursday by 0.40 ringgit to 12.90 ringgit ($3.4).
The intelligence revealed that five containers allegedly containing centrifuge components were seized from a ship, BBC China, in Taranto, Italy on October 4.
The containers had a "SCOPE" seal and Malaysian police investigations confirmed that a Dubai-based Sri Lankan businessman, B S A Tahir had in 2001 contracted SCOPE to manufacture the components.
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