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Court orders ‘The Australian’ to hand over leaked Scorpene data to DCNS
The Australian reported the leak on its website and the French defence firm approached the Supreme Court in Australia to stop the newspaper from publishing the leaked documents.
An Australian court on Thursday confirmed its preliminary decision made earlier this week asking ‘The Australian’ newspaper to provide all leaked data of India’s Scorpene submarine to French shipbuilder DCNS and to stop publishing any more detail.
The paper which has already withdrawn, after the first decision on Monday, information published on its website, will provide DCNS with all the documents in its possession and is prohibited from publishing any additional document.
“The Supreme Court of the State of New South Wales (Australia) confirmed today the preliminary decision it had rendered on Monday, August 29 against The Australian,” DCNS said in a statement.
The Australian reported the leak on its website and the French defence firm approached the Supreme Court in Australia to stop the newspaper from publishing the leaked documents. India has asked France and DCNS to probe the leak.
Underlining that confidentiality of information and communication is a matter of utmost importance, DCNS said it welcomes this decision of the court.
In parallel to this action, DCNS filed a complaint against unknown persons for breach of trust, receiving the proceeds of an offence and aiding and abetting before the Paris Public Prosecutor, it added.
Meanwhile, France on Thursday condemned the leak of secret technical data calling it a “malicious act”.
“We will use every means at our disposal to learn the truth” in the affair, which came to light last week”, French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters.
“Obviously, it was a malicious act,” he added.
Over 22,000 pages of top secret data on the capabilities of six highly advanced submarines being built for the Indian Navy in Mumbai in collaboration with the French company, have been leaked.
