Cops to scrutinise Justo’s forced confession claim

(FMT) – Police today said they would look into a claim by 1MDB whistleblower Andre Xavier Justo that he was forced to declare that Najib Razak was the “best prime minister”.

“This might be related to the recording of his statement in Bangkok three years ago,” top cop Mohamad Fuzi Harun told reporters after launching an anti-corruption seminar here.

Yesterday, Justo said he had been forced to confess to stealing and manipulating data as well as working with the Malaysian opposition with the help of a journalist.

“And that the PetroSaudi-1MDB deal is a legit one and that guy Mr Razak (Najib Razak) was a nice guy,” the Swiss national was reported as saying.

Justo was jailed for extortion and blackmail

Justo also said Malaysian authorities had come to meet him at the Bangkok prison, including Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Amar Singh.

Billions of ringgit were allegedly siphoned off from the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund using a web of opaque transactions and fraudulent offshore shell companies.

On a separate matter, Fuzi said police had recorded the statement of Arau MP Shahidan Kassim who was accused of molesting a 15-year-old in his car two days ago.

“But we have not submitted the investigation paper to the deputy public prosecutor (Attorney-General’s Chambers),” he added.

Amar Singh was alleged to have forced Justo to make his confession

Yesterday, Shahidan revealed that he was the person at the centre of the police investigation into the case. The matter surfaced after the girl lodged a police report, which she subsequently retracted.

According to the girl’s police report, Perlis police chief Noor Mushar Mohd said, the MP had suddenly touched her hand and shoulders while they were alone in the car. She brushed his hand away and left the vehicle immediately in tears.

Police said they would investigate the complaint under Section 14 (a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 despite the retraction.