The revelation by Thai Police of 10 influential Malaysians involved with Ex-Petro Saudi executive Xavier Justo with regards to demonise Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak through the attacks on 1MDB is quite damning.
Straits Times Singapore story:
Ex-PetroSaudi exec fingers Malaysians in 1MDB scandal
JUL 17, 2015, 5:00 AM SGT
Thai police say he named 10 people who bought documents used to attack Najib
Nirmal Ghosh Indochina Bureau Chief In Bangkok
Thai police said Swiss national Xavier Andre Justo, who is in custody and expected to be charged with blackmailing his former employer, PetroSaudi, has given a full confession and identified about 10 people who bought documents from him to use to attack Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.
“He has confessed everything. He has given us very good cooperation… every document, even from inside his phone,” police spokesman Prawuth Thavornsiri told The Straits Times.
Justo sold the data he had taken from PetroSaudi to the group, which included media figures and a person from the Prime Minister’s own party, according to Lieutenant-General Prawuth. Among them was a Malaysia-born woman who had moved to Britain.
“She has a news blog,” he added.
Asked if the blog was the Sarawak Report website, he said: “Maybe. I didn’t name it, you named it.”
He said the website “usually gives bad news about Malaysia”.
“The website tampered with the data to discredit the PM,” he added.
Lt-Gen Prawuth said he could not mention names. But he confirmed that Justo met with “many people, about 10, from the media and from political circles, even from the same party as the PM (Datuk Seri Najib)”. Justo met the Malaysia-born woman three times in Thailand, and also in Singapore, for “negotiation”, said Lt-Gen Prawuth.
In the last stage of the negotiations, once the group had verified that Justo’s files contained the information they wanted, they discussed how to pay him.
The evidence from Justo included a full transcript of all the Whatsapp chats he had with the group during their negotiations and discussions on how he would be paid. Some meetings are said to have been held in Singapore.
“The way they paid was the same way money-laundering gangs pay, Lt-Gen Prawuth said.
“They talked to each other many times by Whatsapp, we have the evidence; they talked about paying like this and like that, to pretend to buy and sell.”
These details “should be useful” to Malaysian police, he added.
The spokesman also offered to share information with the Singapore police. “This case should be reported in Singapore because the money laundering to attack the PM started in Singapore,” he said. “If the Singapore police ask me for evidence (through) the foreign affairs protocol, I can send it.”
Thai police arrested Justo at his plush home on the resort island of Koh Samui on June 22.
The tattooed 49-year-old had worked for PetroSaudi from 2010 to 2011, Lt-Gen Prawuth said.
“The CEO of that company was Xavier’s close friend. I don’t know what conflict they had; he (Justo) walked out and requested money from the company,” he said.
“The company paid him about four million Swiss francs at the time he walked out.
“After two years Xavier called the CEO again and asked for some money again. Before he left, he had copied every e-mail of the company from the server. It was in 2013 that he called the company and said I know all your secrets, and I want US$2.5 million.”
When PetroSaudi turned down his demand, Justo then approached the other group, said Lt-Gen Prawuth, who took care not to mention Malaysia by name.
Justo would be charged with blackmail, Lt-Gen Prawuth told The Straits Times. “The blackmail happened in Thailand, so we only have scope for that,” he added.
On July 3, the Wall Street Journal and Sarawak Report claimed that US$700 million (S$957 million) linked to 1Malaysia Development Berhad was deposited into Mr Najib’s private bank accounts over the past two years.
The beleaguered Prime Minister, who is facing calls for his resignation led by influential former premier Mahathir Mohamad, has denied ever using state funds for “personal gain”.
Mr Najib has accused Tun Dr Mahathir, who was Malaysia’s prime minister for 22 years until 2003, of conspiring with international media to topple his government via “political sabotage”.
1MDB’s recent struggle to meet financing obligations, as it seeks to pare down RM42 billion (S$15 billion) in debt it racked up in its first five years of operation, has been a lightning rod for criticism against Mr Najib’s leadership.
The state investment agency is now the subject of multiple probes by the Malaysian authorities.
Malaysian police have asked their Thai counterparts for access to Justo but have yet to interview the Swiss national.
See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/ex-petrosaudi-exec-fingers-malaysians-in-1mdb-scandal#sthash.lmattQpm.dpuf
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The person Lt. Gen. Prawut trying to imply as “Malaysian-born who moved to Britain” is Sarawak Report editor in chief Clare Rewcastle-Brownn.
What is very intriguing, the ten are a blend of Opposition and BN leaders (or their trusted aides representing them).
The Nation story:
Swiss man met ‘buyers of data on Malaysian PM in Thailand’
The Nation July 18, 2015 1:00 am
THAILAND WAS used as a meeting venue between a Swiss suspect held here for blackmail and the potential buyers of information intended to discredit Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, the Singapore-based Straits Times newspaper reported online.
The paper quoted Thai police spokesman Lt-General Prawut Thavornsiri as saying that Xavier Justo met three times with a Malaysia-born female news blogger who had moved to Britain to negotiate the purchase of information and data. Prawut based his information on the confession of Justo, who he said had admitted to everything and surrendered a document, even records from his phone.
The suspect was arrested late last month in Surat Thani’s Koh Samui district for allegedly trying to blackmail a Saudi oil company.
Prawut said Justo named about 10 people from the media and political circles, even from the same party as Najib, who wanted to buy the information he had allegedly taken from PetroSaudi.
Prawut said Justo met the Malaysia-born woman three times in Thailand, and also in Singapore, for “negotiation”. Asked if the woman’s blog was the Sarawak Report website, he said: “Maybe. I didn’t name it, you named it. The website tampered with the data to discredit the [Malaysian] PM.”
The evidence from Justo allegedly included a full transcript of all the WhatsApp chats he had with the group during their negotiations and discussions on how he would be paid.
“This case should be reported in Singapore because the money-laundering to attack the PM started in Singapore,” Prawut said. “If the Singapore police ask me for evidence [through] the foreign affairs protocol, I can send it.”
The suspect had worked for PetroSaudi from 2010 to 2011 and the chief executive officer was Justo’s close friend. Justo walked out and the company paid him about 4 million Swiss francs (Bt140 million).
After two years, Justo called the CEO again and asked for more money. Before he left, he had copied every e-mail of the company from the server. “It was in 2013 that he called the company and said I know all your secrets and I want US$2.5million. When the firm turned down his demand, Justo approached the other group,” Prawut said.
Justo will be charged with blackmail, Prawut told The Straits Times.
Malaysia Development, a state investment agency chaired by Najib, has invested in PetroSaudi while allegations claimed that Najib received money from the investment in that company. Najib, who is facing calls for his resignation, has denied ever using state funds for “personal gain”.
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The same news portal also publish a story about “A former key politician” who is involved in the scheme where Justo admitted to the Thai police a conspiracy to demonise Prime Minister Najib.
Swiss man admits to part in smear campaign
JESSADA JANTHARAK,
NOPPADOL SRITHAWEEKARD
THE NATION July 17, 2015 1:00 am
Justo
Justo
A POLICE investigation into a Swiss suspect, who is being detained in Thailand on blackmail charges, has revealed that his network planned to use distorted information to attack a neighbouring country’s government through media in Europe as part of a smear campaign, police spokesman Maj-General Prawut Thavornsiri said yesterday.Xavier Justo’s accomplices include the media and a former key politician of this neighbouring country. Though Prawut did not identify the neighbouring country, it is widely understood that he was referring to Malaysia.
Justo, a former PetroSaudi International executive, was arrested in Surat Thani’s Koh Samui on June 22 for allegedly trying to extort 2.5 Swiss Francs (about Bt90 million) from PetroSaudi in exchange for not disclosing confidential information.
Prawut said Justo confessed and handed in all information and evidence, including e-mails and messages via WhatsApp, which revealed that the suspect was part of a network that planned to sell this distorted information to discredit the government of this neighbouring country.
“We also found that the suspect’s network included the press and a former key politician from this country,” the spokesman said, adding that the suspect had received payment for this information in Singapore.
In his confession, Justo provided dates, times and venues of the meetings, which Prawut said had been cross-checked and found to be correct.
This was believed to be part of a plot to discredit Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak by using false information about 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state development fund chaired by Najib.
Previously, officials from this neighbouring country had asked Thai police for information, which it could not provide at that time because the investigation was ongoing, the police spokesman said.
“Now they can seek information on the case through the embassy,” he said.
As of press time, Justo was still in detention at the Bangkok Remand Prison. Earlier, it had been rumoured that police had handed the suspect over to their Malaysian counterparts.
After Justo was arrested, a statement from PetroSaudi said the firm was relieved that the suspect would now face justice through the courts and that it had been the victim of a regrettable crime that had been politicised in Malaysia. “We are happy to finally set the record straight and we apologise to the Malaysian people for the harm that one of our unscrupulous ex-employees has caused to them,” the statement read.
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These stories are revealing. It is believed that this conspiracy to topple Prime Minister Najib is a very complicated association of Opposition and former BN leaders, through Sarawak Report. Apparently, the information which appeared in Sarawak Report have been used, echoed and amplified by these politicians.
The investigations conducted by the Thai Police revealed that Sarawak Report altered the information obtained from the ones purchased from Xavier Justo.
The Straits Times story:
Thai police say London-based news outlet tampered with documents to discredit Najib
PUBLISHED JUL 18, 2015, 1:25 PM SGT
12 0 2
BANGKOK – Thai police confirmed that a news outlet based in London had tampered with classified documents belonging to Saudi oil company PetroSaudi International with the intent of discrediting Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and his administration.Without naming the news organisation, Thai police spokesman Lt Gen Prawut Thavornsiri said it belonged to a Malaysia-born woman who had moved to Britain, New Straits Times (NST) reported.
He told the newspaper on Friday that the woman was part of a group of potential buyers interested in purchasing documents from Swiss citizen Xavier Andre Justo, a former employee of PetroSaudi who is being investigated for alledgedly blackmailing the oil company.
The firm and Malaysian state investment fund 1Malaysian Development Bhd (1MDB) were involved in a short-lived joint venture in 2009 thatMalaysia’s opposition has blamed for creating the heavy financial losses at 1MDB.Related Story
Malaysia police to question several people over alleged meeting with Swiss citizen in 1MDB scandal“Some members of the group, including the woman, had met with Justo three times in Thailand to determine whether the information contained in the documents was of any use to them,” he told NST.
The newspaper said Prawut was believed to be referring to Sarawak Report founder and editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown, a British national who was born in Malaysia.
Under Thai law, a person cannot be named prior to a warrant of arrest, according to the report.
The Thai police spokesman also said they had strong reason to believe that the documents were tampered with.
“The information contained in the documents that were published online appear to be different from the original digital copies retrieved from Justo’s personal computer,” he said.
Prawut also said the group had met with Justo at least once at a hotel in Singapore.
“We have strong evidence to support alleged meetings and we can confirm that they did take place in both countries,” he said.
The group comprised prominent figures from the Malaysian opposition, government and media.
His comments came after a former editor of Sarawak Report, Lester Melanyi, alleged that Malaysian opposition leaders had conspired with the whistleblower website on the 1MDB issue.
Prawut told NST that after negotiations concluded, a chat group was created on social messaging service WhatsApp to discuss the terms of payment.
“After they agreed on the selling price, they signed a contract whereby Justo would sell a ‘software company’ to the group. And the remaining money from the ‘purchase’ would be used to pay Justo,” he said.
This was similar to a money laundering tactic commonly employed by criminal gangs, the Thai spokesman said, adding that Thai police were ready to share this information with their Malaysian counterparts.
“I am also of the opinion that a case should be opened in Singapore as the money laundering started in that country, ” he was quoted as saying by NST.
Thai police arrested Justo at his plush home on the resort island of Koh Samui on June 22. The 49-year-old had worked for PetroSaudi from 2010 to 2011.
“The CEO of that company was Xavier’s close friend. I don’t know what conflict they had; he (Justo) walked out and requested money from the company,” The Straits Times quoted Prawut as saying.
“The company paid him about four million Swiss francs at the time he walked out.
“After two years Xavier called the CEO again and asked for some money again. Before he left, he had copied every email of the company from the server. It was in 2013 that he called the company and said I know all your secrets, and I want US$2.5 million (S$3.4 million).”
When PetroSaudi turned down his demand, Justo then approached the other group, said Prawut.
Justo would be charged with blackmail, Prawut told The Straits Times.
On July 3, Sarawak Report and the Wall Street Journal claimed that US$700 million linked to 1MDB was deposited into Najib’s private bank accounts over the past two years. Najib has denied ever using state funds for “personal gain”.
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This very much prove that Sarawak Report editor in chief Clare Rewcastle-Brown manipulated information and fabricated other information and laced them with lies.
This isn’t the first time Sarawak Report has been fabricating information and lying. The news portal has been incessantly fabricating information and lies with the explicit purpose to cause anguish and arousing Malaysians to topple the government, beginning with Sarawak, Sabah and the Federal Government.
The fabricated information, manipulation and lies created by Sarawak Report found its convenience if not allies, with Opposition Leaders and tools for them to topple the BN ruling government for quite sometime.
Local influential business newspaper The Edge and private radio station BFM 89.9 also used the Sarawak Report materials to present 1MDB in a very bad light. Both are part of a media group controlled by pro-Anwarista tycoon Tong Kooi Ong.
Tong was implicated by his very close association with Anwar when former Bank Negara Assistant Governor Dato’ Abdul Murad Khalid in his statutory declaration about the ‘cronyism and war chest of Anwar Ibrahim’ dated 26 October 1999.
Some of the Neo Con Jews controlled media also used these Sarawak Report fabricated lies as references. The most recent is the Wall Street Journal and New York Times.
Former Opposition Leader and current a criminal convict Anwar Ibrahim is known for his close association and relationship with Neo Con Jews particularly notable people in the Washington D.C. corridors of power such as Madeline Albright, Robert Rubin, William Cohen, Paul Wolfowitz etc.
What is very interesting to be unravelled further is these ten Malaysian personalities which Let. Gen. Prawut mentioned which the Thai Police discovered after Justo was arrested and interrogated.
The information which has been shared through the media so far noted that the Royal Malaysian Police have yet to be allowed to interrogate Justo. There is a very important need to understand the magnitude and bigger perspective of this concerted effort to attack 1MDB, as part of the conspiracy to demonise and topple Prime Minister Najib
It is interesting to note lately as the screw is tightening, the direction of these said Malaysian personalities and even editor in chief Sarawak Report have gone towards the ‘defensive mode’.
The investigation by the Singapore Police on money laundering as per mention by Lt. Gen. Prawut is suggesting that the Malaysian media and Opposition personalities are very much involved in this conspiracy.
Time would eventually reveal the truth. It would be proven against these ‘ten black children’, as one by one shall be unveiled as accessories if not partners in crime for a sinister agenda.
The "thirteen million plus Ringgit" guy rambles.... 
Yes, Time would eventually reveal the truth. It may mean a long time. And in the meanwhile, there are a lot of questions in people’s minds. And they should not be blamed for asking questions, seeking the truth.
Mention of Anwarul Al Juburi’s name as one of those wanting to topple DS Najib is understandable and easily believable. And Tong, the banker who the former Bank Negara Assistant Governor named in his Statutory Declaration as the one who had several “Master Accounts” opened in his, and presumably, in other banks as well, totalling some RM3 billion for Al Juburi. They certainly have the funds to pay the blackmailer and extortioner Justo for the “merchandise” he pedalled.
Speculations about a DAP leader involved have led to Tony Pua challenging BN to accuse him publicly and Lim Kit Siang saying that he was offered the documents for a fee but refused to buy them. But Kit Siang did not say whether he met Justo – so, the question is: did he?
The bigger question being asked now is who are the UMNO members among those Justo “identified about 10 people who bought documents from him .. even from the same party as the PM (Datuk Seri Najib)”? It’s all very intriguing, leading to many privately-held speculations.
Based on what the Thai Police Lieut General’s statements, there appears to be 2 categories of people involved in the Justo-documents purchase:
1. Those in the Opposition party(ies) whose motive is clearly the ousting of Najib, weakening the Government, even “ousting the Government”, presumably via a vote of no confidence in Parliament when – they hope – there are sufficient BN/ Independent MPs disenchanted with BN and willing to give a no vote. Remember, Anwarul Al Juburi even wanted to overthrow the Government via a failed “kotak lompat” coup d’etat in 2008.
2, Those “from the same party as the PM (Datuk Seri Najib)”. It’s not clear who these people are and their purpose. Surely they do not intend to oust UMNO/BN from power. Tun Dr Mahathir has asked Najib to resign and, failing that, he be replaced by the party. But would he have resorted to the Justo-documents purchase? There has been no evidence so far.
But the way Justo answered questions, as stated by the Thai Police Lieutenant-General, appears somewhat unconvincing. Talking about the Sarawak Report operator Claire Brown, the report said,
“She has a news blog,” he added. Asked if the blog was the Sarawak Report website, he said: “Maybe. I didn’t name it, you named it.”
It’s quite difficult to imagine a huge crime suspect detained “under remand” (i.e without the relative “comfort” of the usual prison conditions) for so long until now, is allowed to give an answer like that.
Perhaps they are using the different tactics quite often shown in movies and on TV – the gentle approach at this stage. Note that the questioning under remand is still on.
Justo is irrelevant. Lester Melanyi also.
The 13 million dollar question is – Did Najib’s account received US$700m transfer?
Rosmah admitted to 2 million deposit into her account, why can’t Najib admit or deny?
I’m perplexed. Up to now nobody has said the info in the SR and the WSJ are all lies. Including the Thai Police General i/c of the Justo investigation.
So, the question is: which ones are lies, which ones “fabricated”, which ones have basis?
Najib refuse to answer that question so we should stop asking.. Accountability is a joke.
Lt-Gen Prawuth told The Straits Times. “The blackmail happened in Thailand, so we only have scope for that.”
That would not cover all the angles Malaysia must be interested in. Would the Thais let Malaysia Investigate Justo? Or allow Malaysia to extradite Justo and interrogate him in this country?
If the Thais want to imprison the bloke in Thailand, it’ll be many years before Malaysia can get all the answers needed to solve the 1MDB case.
DS Najib visited Thailand before the fasting month to meet his counterpart and came back praising the Thai PM.
Wonder if that has anything to do with the case.
I am awaiting news of any one in authority or with credibility saying that ALL that are said in SR and WSJ are false. And that there is no truth at all in those. If I have missed such news, would any one kindly let me know here.
So far what has been said was Justo was “selective” in the release of the emails and “edited” the emails. And the Thai Police General i/c of the Justo investigation said Justo admitted “tampering” the emails.
Until and unless it is authoritatively and reliably announced that ALL the damning points in SR and WSJ are lies, questions will continue to linger in our minds.
I hope the Malaysian Police will be allowed to interrogate Justo under normal normal interrogating conditions. And I believe the news about IGP being asked to go to Bangkok to interrogate Justo means it’s the IGP’s interrogating team who will go to do it.
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