Ex-PetroSaudi exec gets three years in jail

A lawyer, familiar with the case, said though it had been reported that Justo had signed a confession when he was interrogated by Thai police, he would still need to have his plea recorded in court.

However, Thai police have said Justo confessed that he handed over documents involving PetroSaudi’s dealings with Malaysian state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1MDB, to a London-based Malaysian anti-government news website, Sarawak Report.

Swiss national Xavier Andre Justo was sentenced by a Bangkok court today (Aug 17) to three years’ jail for attempting to blackmail his former employer PetroSaudi worldwide (PSI).

The 49-year-old former IT executive allegedly stole data containing confidential information on a joint venture between PetroSaudi and 1MDB, and is said to have agreed to sell it to a group of Malaysian individuals.

The Sarawak Report is now temporarily blocked by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). He was arrested in June on the island of Koh Samui, where he was living at the time.

Mr Najib has denied any wrongdoing in connection with 1MDB.

Justo had previously claimed he was offered US$2 million to share the stolen data with an unidentified Malaysian group, but he was never paid. “I did pursue him doggedly to get the material”, she said. “Justo was trying to publish corporate information and given the public interest, it is right to describe him as a whistle-blower”.

According to past reports, Justo had attempted to blackmail and extort 2.5 million Swiss Francs (S$3.6 million) from PSI over the release of these purportedly incriminating documents. “These people are pointing out that they are not plotting, they are openly criticising, which is their democratic right and duty to do”.