(June 26): The investigation against former PetroSaudi International director Xavier Andre Justo was for blackmail and no Malaysian authorities are involved in it, a Thai police source reportedly told Malaysiakini.

This after Justo allegedly sent an email to PetroSaudi in October last year to request a meeting, and an executive subsequently met Justo at a hotel in downtown Bangkok.

Thai police have said that the arrest of the Swiss national revolved around his blackmail attempt using leaked information, but Malaysian ministers are said to be holding on to the narrative that the leaked information belonging to PetroSaudi was tampered with, the report added.

Justo was arrested in Thailand on Monday and is being investigated for fabrication of information and blackmail against the oil company which had a joint-venture deal with debt-ridden state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) in 2009.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was reported to have said that during investigations, Justo had implicated several Malaysians who allegedly asked him to manipulate the leaked information which was passed to whistleblower site Sarawak Report.

The report, however, said that the source, who requested anonymity, had said that Thai police were pursuing the blackmail angle as this was what happened under their jurisdiction.

Malaysiakini further reported that  following the arrest, several ministers, including Zahid, were eager to create the impression that among Justo's crimes was the tampering of information.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek had also reportedly not made any mention of blackmail and instead had said they would act against those who circulated the tampered information.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, meanwhile, called the allegations levelled against 1MDB as being based on distorted facts.

Justo's arrest was to facilitate investigations into the leak of emails between PetroSaudi and 1MDB, correspondence which the government now says was tampered with after initial investigations by private cyber security firm Protection Group International (PGI).

Pro-government daily The New Straits Times was the first to break the news about PGI's findings earlier this week after reports of Justo's arrest in Thailand.

It quoted an unnamed PGI expert as saying that the leaked documents had been edited so as to paint a negative picture of 1MDB.

1MDB also issued a statement saying that some of the leaked emails had been tampered with.

According to The Bangkok Post, Thai police said Justo had been paid RM15 million to leave PetroSaudi and is accused of demanding more money from the company in exchange for his silence on confidential information.

Justo has reportedly denied these allegations. – The Malaysian Insider