Malaysian PM's son in nuclear inquiry
By Kimina Lyall
06feb04
A COMPANY controlled by the son of Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi is being investigated by special branch police following reports it helped supply centrifuge components bound for Libya's nuclear weapons program.
The investigation is part of the fallout from admissions by Pakistan's top nuclear scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan, that he sold nuclear technology to Libya, Iran and North Korea.
Pakistan's cabinet last night recommended to President Pervez Musharraf he pardon Dr Khan, who headed Pakistan's nuclear development program. Interior ministry officials said five nuclear scientists and administrators from the Khan Research Laboratories had been detained under Pakistan's tough security laws.
Dr Khan was sacked as a government science adviser last week to "facilitate" Pakistan investigation into the leaking of nuclear secrets to the rogue states.
The Malaysian investigation has been under way since November last year, at the same time as Kamaluddin Abdullah's father took over from Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister.
A month earlier, intelligence officials intercepted a container ship in Italy and found nuclear components in containers marked Scomi Precision Engineering - a subsidiary company of Mr Abdullah's Scomi Group.
Police inspector-general Mohamad Bakri Omar said the company made the components after being engaged by a Sri Lankan man, BSA Tahir. He said Tahir and Scomi were co-operating with police and insisted the Government was not involved.
Centrifuges are used to enrich uranium for a variety of purposes, including weapons production. Scomi said it had been engaged to make 14 semi-finished components in a $US3.4 million ($4.5million) deal for a Dubai company, but did not know what use was intended for the parts.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia had been concerned for years that Pakistan was providing nuclear secrets to other countries.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,8596800%255E2703,00.html