KUALA LUMPUR: Xavier Andre Justo, the former employee of PetroSaudi International Ltd now in custody of the Thai police for alleged blackmail over leaked information about dealings with 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), is believed to be have been a member of the oil company’s board of directors.

Checks by The Malaysian Insider on the Swiss national show that he was not merely an IT executive, as reported by Thai media following his arrest in Koh Samui, Thailand, on Monday.

The Checkcompany website showed that Justo, 49, was a director in two companies, PetroSaudi Energy and Trading, and PetroSaudi International (UK) Ltd.

He was listed as director of the first company from March 28, 2011 until April 22, the same year, and of the UK company from June 28, 2010 until April 22, 2011.

On another website, Dellam Corporate Information Ltd, Justo is also listed as a director in two companies under PetroSaudi International (UK).

Justo had demanded 90 million baht (RM9.9 million) from PetroSaudi in exchange for not disclosing confidential information to rival companies but denied asking for nearly RM10 million more in a blackmail attempt with information regarding 1MDB, Thai police had said.

The Bangkok Post said Thai police believed Justo leaked information about PetroSaudi to a “UK-based news website” which the paper identified as the London-based Sarawak Report.

Citing Malaysian sources, the paper said the leaks and reports by the website was “part of a plot to discredit” Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also finance minister and chairman of 1MDB’s advisory board. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on June 25, 2015.