(June 25): The Communications and Multimedia Ministry will cooperate with police on investigations into alleged blackmail and fabrication of stolen emails and data on 1Malaysia Development Bhd and PetroSaudi International by a Swiss national now in detention.

Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the ministry will extend help to the police so that such information will no longer be spread to stir discontent among the public towards the government, which owns 1MDB.

"We will work together with the police and other parties because what has happened has caused Malaysians to feel disturbed over such information which is not accurate.

"We have already seen PetroSaudi's apology to the government and to the people for the actions of its former employee who blackmailed the company and spread falsehoods and tampered emails which have been used to stir anger among the people," Shabery told reporters in the Parliament lobby today.

He said his ministry had offered to help in investigations, including by going after parties who may have been involved in the spread of the information.

A Swiss national Xavier Andre Justo was arrested by Thai police on Monday and is being probed for extortion over data he allegedly stole from his former employer, PetroSaudi, that revealed the oil company's dubious deals with 1MDB.

Commenting on the arrest, PetroSaudi had issued a press statement expressing "relief" that Justo would now be investigated, and expressed regret that the issue of its joint venture with 1MDB had been "politicised in Malaysia".

The information Justo allegedly stole from PetroSaudi is reported as having been edited and tampered with before they were leaked to UK-based website Sarawak Report, which other media outlets then picked up and published, according to pro-government newspaper the New Straits Times.

1MDB in a statement had also said that initial investigations surrounding Justo's arrest showed that some leaked emails had been tampered with.

Sarawak Report had published a series of documents regarding the PetroSaudi-1MDB joint venture in 2009, which raised questions about 1MDB's dealings and also the involvement of Malaysian tycoon Low Taek Jho, who is better known as Jho Low.

Last night, Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi also welcomed news of Justo's arrest and also warned media outlets, singling The Edge and its owner Datuk Tong Kooi Ong, for having reported on information on 1MDB which may have been tampered with.

Zahid warned that his ministry had the power to cancel or retract publishing permits. – The Malaysian Insider