A new dimension to the 1MDB controversy

Yes, the plot thickens. We have 1MDB, PetroSaudi, Sarawak Report, Justo, Sufi and Dr Mahathir. Along the way some things got lost in translation. The question is at what point was the information ‘amended’ to look damaging to the Prime Minister and how many people along the way were privy to this.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

It is so difficult to keep up with developments regarding the 1MDB controversy because they keep moving the goalposts and they keep adding new dimensions to the issue. Just as you thought the ball was heading one way and a goal is about to be scored you suddenly see the ball going the other way, threatening to end up in the opposite goal.

Sigh…it is getting very complicated and is taxing my 64-year-old brain that can no longer react as fast as it did when I was half my age. Why can’t they just KISS: keep it simple stupid.

Anyway, let my feeble mind and overworked brain try to recap what has transpired thus far.

It all started with the allegations of RM42 billion of 1MDB’s money disappearing into thin air. Then it was changed to part of that RM42 billion disappearing into thin air. Then it became RM42 billion being spent with no proper explanation. And then…what was it after that?….only God knows.

Then 1MDB’s auditors were alleged to have not audited the books properly and that some independent, third party should check the books instead. Then PAC was asked to be this independent, third party that should check the books. Then PAC is said to be biased and is said to be not able to do a fair job after all.

Then the Prime Minister was asked to explain what happened to 1MDB’s RM42 billion. Then when the Prime Minister tries to explain he is told he is not trustworthy and no one is going to believe what he says. So the Prime Minister keeps quiet and they whack him for keeping quiet and for not explaining. Then when he tries to explain they…sigh…never mind…this is beginning to become very tiring that I do not know any longer whether I am coming or going.

And now we have reports that the leaked e-mails that implicated 1MDB in wrongdoings may actually be fakes after all, or e-mails that may have been doctored or tampered.

Then a Swiss national, Xavier Andre Justo, is arrested in Thailand for allegedly trying to blackmail PetroSaudi International, the company that did business with 1MDB. It is alleged he did not only try to blackmail PetroSaudi but did so using doctored documents.

Then Sarawak Report confirms that it did, in fact, obtain the documents and that the documents are genuine and not forged. Sarawak Report added that they have in their possession three million e-mails and that they are all genuine and not forgeries.

With that confirmation Sarawak Report more or less confesses to being involved in the crime of data stealing and in using this stolen data without the permission of the owner of that data, which technically hangs Justo and gives him no way out to deny his crime.

The even newer dimension to this case is Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad coming out very strongly condemning the arrest of Justo and saying that Justo did not commit any crime in Thailand and should not have been arrested. Dr Mahathir called the arrest suspicious and he said he felt that there was an element of mala fide and that the arrest was not kosher.

How Dr Mahathir knows all this when even the Thai police do not know yet is something that is being hotly debated in town (Kuala Lumpur that is, not Manchester).

Dr Mahathir’s aid, Sufi Yusof, is said to have made a few trips to Thailand to meet Justo. An Umno Blog, however, has said that although Sufi did go to Thailand a few times it was not to meet Justo but for some other purposes.

With that admission cum denial, an even newer dimension has now been added to this whole issue. Okay, we know that eventually the stolen data ended up in the hands of Sarawak Report. The question is: did Justo hand that stolen data directly to Sarawak Report or did Justo hand it to Sufi who in turn handed it to Sarawak Report?

The next thing is there are allegations of doctoring of those e-mails, which Sarawak Report denies, although they do not deny being in possession of stolen e-mails. Now, was Dr Mahathir aware that these e-mails were tampered? If Dr Mahathir was not aware was Sufi aware and did he choose not to inform Dr Mahathir about it?

Yes, the plot thickens. We have 1MDB, PetroSaudi, Sarawak Report, Justo, Sufi and Dr Mahathir. Along the way some things got lost in translation. The question is: at what point was the information ‘amended’ to look damaging to the Prime Minister and how many people along the way were privy to this?

In short, was Dr Mahathir a party to fraud or was Dr Mahathir a victim of fraud? And did Sufi unwittingly lead his boss into a trap or did so intentionally while thinking that no one will find out?

This is the trouble with hunting wild beasts. You never know whether you are creeping up on the beast or the beast is creeping up on you. Am I glad I am not a hunter and suffer the risk of the hunter turning the hunted?