Who is Kamal Siddiqi?

(Malay Mail Online) – UK-based Indian businessman Kamal Siddiqi has been implicated in the brewing controversy involving jailed ex-PetroSaudi International executive Xavier Andre Justo.

According to documents sighted by Malay Mail, Justo had, in his confession to Thai police, spoke to his “best friend” Christian Frampton regarding his offer to sell the stolen PetroSaudi data he had.

The Swiss national claimed he was sure Frampton did not know or meet Sarawak Report‘s Clare Rewcastle-Brown and that the journalist had introduced Sidiqqi “as an intermediary in subsequent whatsapp conversations”.

This comes following reports by New Straits Times on Monday and yesterday regarding several prominent Malaysians who were linked to Justo.

When asked if Rewcastle-Brown was approached by Sidiqqi regarding information linked to PetroSaudi and 1Malaysia Development Berhad, she had in an email to Malay Mail said: “I suggest you speak to your reliable informat who is clearly more knowledgeable than myself on this matter.”

Siddiqi owns Kamkorp, a British-Swiss holding company. The company is part of the Frazer-Nash group specialising in electric vehicle technologies and had introduced electric technology for London Metrocabs last year. Sidiqqi is chairman of Frazer-Nash.

He is no stranger to Malaysia.

In 1998, Frazer-Nash supplied electric vehicles during the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur and 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

In 2000, Siddiqi went into an agreement with Perusahaan Otomobil Eletrik Malaysia (M) Sdn Bhd in 2000 to contract manufacture over 1,000 units of electric-powered cars. It was reported former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad joined Siddiqi in London to oversee the signing of agreement between both parties.

On October 18, 2002, Metrail Holdings, part of Frazer-Nash, entered into agreement with Malaysia Mining Company Berhad (MMC) to design and build a monorail system.

Kamkorp had recently come underfire following the construcion of an electric car factory in Chobham, UK.

Local residents described it as the “biggest rape of the green belt” in the history of the village. Siddiqi’s son Noamaan was reported by local news portal GetSurrey in May as saying: “We will be taking on graduates from colleges and universities.

“As a family company we are a community company and what we do has an important impact nationally and internationally.”