[piasa]

It's not neccessarily being implied- read my post above and this one:

Investigators in Rome suspect that Mr Martino was first engaged by the French secret services five years ago, when he was asked to investigate rumours of illicit trafficking in uranium from Niger.

In other words, the rumors that uranium trafficking was going on in Niger preceded the forged documents. The French took it seriously enough that they investigated, hired this guy to prowl around and see what he could come up with.

This could be the case for a few reasons:

It could be at least one French intelligence official really was concerned and tried to find out more.

Or it could be the French wanted an investigation in order to figure out the source of the leaks and have it excised so the rumors would stop.

Or ... who knows. There's a reason for the concern since it turns out Libya was indeed obtaining uranium from Niger, in spite of the former Ambassador Wilson's proclamation that illicit trade couldn't occur because the security was too good.

[walford]

Yes apparently there is a history of Niger supplying this type of uranium to various 'rogue states.'

Evidence of Niger uranium trade 'years before war': Embarrassment over fake documents obscured earlier intelligence that Iraq may have been trying to buy uranium
...three European intelligence services were aware of possible illicit trade in uranium from Niger between 1999 and 2001. Human intelligence gathered in Italy and Africa more than three years before the Iraq war had shown Niger officials referring to possible illicit uranium deals with at least five countries, including Iraq.

This intelligence provided clues about plans by Libya and Iran to develop their undeclared nuclear programmes. Niger officials were also discussing sales to North Korea and China of uranium ore or the "yellow cake" refined from it: the raw materials that can be progressively enriched to make nuclear bombs.

The raw intelligence on the negotiations included indications that Libya was investing in Niger's uranium industry to prop it up at a time when demand had fallen, and that sales to Iraq were just a part of the clandestine export plan. These secret exports would allow countries with undeclared nuclear programmes to build up uranium stockpiles...