Justo names 10 over plot to tarnish Najib
(The Straits Times/Asia News Network) – Swiss national Xavier Andre Justo, who is expected to be charged with blackmailing his former employer, claimed that about 10 people bought documents from him to attack Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
“He has confessed everything. He has given us very good cooperation … every document, even from inside his phone,” Thai police spokesman Lt-Gen Prawuth Thavornsiri told The Straits Times (Singapore).
Justo reportedly 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.
Among them was a Malaysia-born woman who had moved to Britain. “She has a news blog,” Lt-Gen Prawuth said.
Asked if the 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 PM,” he added.
Lt-Gen Prawuth said he could not mention names.
But he said that Justo had met with “many people, about 10, from the media and from political circles, even from the same party as 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 reportedly verified that Justo’s files contained the information they wanted, they discussed how to pay him.
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.
Some meetings were reportedly said to have been held in Singapore.
“The way they paid was the same way money-laundering gangs pay, Lt-Gen Prawuth said.
These details “should be useful” to Malaysian police, he added.
“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.
“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$2.5mil (RM9.5mil).” When PetroSaudi turned down his demand, Justo then approached the other group, Lt-Gen Prawuth added.
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.”
On July 3, The Wall Street Journal and Sarawak Report claimed that US$700mil (RM2.7bil) linked to 1Malaysia Development Berhad was deposited into Najib’s private bank accounts over the past two years.
The Prime Minister, who is facing calls for his resignation led by former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has denied ever using state funds for “personal gain”.
Najib has accused Dr Mahathir of conspiring with international media to topple his government via “political sabotage”.
