Le Point, December 1, 2010 By Herve Gattegno
In 1997, Jacques Chirac and Dominique de Villepin had prevented two intermediaries to collect a whopping bribe of nearly 2 billion francs because they suspected them of being linked to funding for the camp balladurien.
already emerged in the investigation into the case of the attack in Karachi, the two men - the Lebanese and Syrian Takieddine Ziad Abdul Rahman al-Asir - were to receive a percentage on four arms contracts signed with Saudi Arabia under the government of Edouard Balladur (1993-1995).
These markets include the Sawari 2 contract, which provided for the delivery of the frigates armed Saudi kingdom, totaling about 19 billion francs (2.9 billion euros).
documents published by Le Point revealed that two businessmen, already taxed by the cabinet of Francois Leotard on the contract of sale of Agosta submarines to Pakistan and known as the "network K, finally abandoned their claims on financial contracts Saudis.
A letter from the CEO of Sofresa, structure State responsible for monitoring major contracts with Saudi Arabia (now renamed Odas), dated March 3, 1997 and addressed to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Defense of this country, the book details the commissions provided. The table attached to this letter certifies that, before the traffic light at the Elysee, the intermediaries had nevertheless already banked more than 50 million euros. The investigation has also proved that they had received 33 million euros on the sale of submarines to Pakistan.
The "strong suspicion" de Villepin
After the presidential election of 1995, Chirac's believed that this amount could be earmarked for financing their political rivals. Their suspicions were primarily the entourage of Edouard Balladur, former Defense Minister Francois Leotard and his principal adviser, Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres.
Asked by Judge Renaud Van Ruymbeke, Dominique de Villepin, former secretary general of the Elysee, confirmed the existence of "strong suspicions as illegitimate, even rétrocommissions" on contracts Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, while affirming that the investigations conducted at the time by the DGSE had made "no formal proof.
He however indicated that the wiretapping of several relatives of Francois Leotard had shown that direct links exist between intermediaries and political figures.
"In the names mentioned, there were both Ministers and members of the entourage of ministers, "he said, without citing any.
J. Van Ruymbeke, responsible for financial investigations on the underside of the attack in Karachi, has asked the prosecutor to Paris, last weekend, expanding its referral for possible crimes related to the contract Sawari 2.
In order to be-release dated November 26, 2010 - whose site Mediapart published excerpts - the judge refers to "new evidence" from the testimony of former minister Charles Millon, the former CEO of Sofresa Michel Mazens, Dominique de Villepin and two executives of DCN, the builder of ships.
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