By Max Constant
BANGKOK
Thai police have expressed willingness to share information obtained from a former executive who sold confidential corporate data implicating Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in opaque financial dealings, according to local media Friday.
A police spokesperson was quoted by The Nation as saying that that they could not previously provide information to authorities from an unnamed neighboring country since the investigation against Swiss national Xavier Justo, 49, had been ongoing.
“Now they can seek information on the case through the embassy”, General Prawut Thavornsiri added.
Thai authorities had arrested Justo, previously a PetroSaudi International executive, on June 22 for allegedly blackmailing his former employer in an attempt to extort 2.5 million Swiss Francs ($2.6 million) in return for not disclosing the firm’s confidential information.
The investigation into the suspect has drawn attention in Malaysia as the sold data allegedly included correspondence between PetroSaudi and debt-ridden state investment arm 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
Razak has been facing increased heat since earlier this month, when the Wall Street Journal and the London-based Sarawak Report published reports saying that $700 dollars had been siphoned off a PetroSaudi-1MDB joint venture, before allegedly being channeled to the premier’s bank accounts.
Razak has denied using funds for personal gain. A special Malaysian task force comprised of the attorney-general’s office, police, anti-corruption authorities and the Central Bank is currently investigating the media claims.
According to Thai police, Justo has confessed to having stolen confidential digital data from his former company and sold it to media, after having tried to blackmail his former bosses.
“We found that the suspect’s network included press and a former key politician from this country,” Thavornsiri said.
Razak has blamed Mahathir Mohamad -- Malaysia's longest serving prime minister who was in office for 29 years -- of orchestrating the allegations as "part of a concerted campaign of political sabotage to topple a democratically elected prime minister." Mohammad has waged an aggressive campaign against Razak over the past months, focusing on his alleged mishandling of 1MDB.
On Friday, Thavornsiri told the Singapore-based Straits Times that Justo had identified 10 people – “even from the same party as the PM” -- who bought the documents. Allegedly included among them was a Malaysian-born woman who resides in the UK and “has a news blog."
He refused to confirm whether it was the Sarawak Report, but said the website "usually gives bad news about Malaysia."
Meanwhile, Malaysian police chief Insp. Gen. Khalid Abu Bakar said Friday that they had identified the opposition leader who allegedly met Justo in Singapore.
"What was revealed by the Thai police yesterday was very serious, it involves a few Malaysians and we have used the revelation as a report,” The Malaysian Insider quoted him as saying.
“A few individuals will be called in to give their statements in relation to what was revealed by the Thai police yesterday," he added. "It is very shocking and very serious."
