KUALA LUMPUR: Thai police have arrested a former IT executive of PetroSaudi International (PSI), who had leaked information linked to Malaysia’s troubled 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

The Malaysian Insider learnt that Xavier Andre Justo, a Swiss national, was picked up on a Thai island on Monday, and sent to Bangkok yesterday.

“Xavier Justo was arrested at his home in Thailand by the Crime Suppression Division of the Royal Thai Police yesterday (Monday), and charged with attempted blackmail and extortion against PetroSaudi International.

“Numerous computers, hard drives and other evidence were seized pursuant to a court-ordered search warrant, and the investigation is ongoing. Meanwhile, PetroSaudi International is considering further legal action in other jurisdictions,” PSI said in a statement yesterday.

A spokesperson for PSI said: “We are relieved that Mr Justo will now face justice through the courts. 

“We are happy to finally set the record straight, and we apologise to the Malaysian people for the harm that one of our unscrupulous ex-employees has caused to them,” he added.

Whistle-blower site Sarawak Report claimed early last month that the entire 1MDB-PSI joint venture deal was initiated by businessman Low Taek Jho and his team on September 8, 2009, less than a month before the deal was signed.

DAP lawmaker Tony Pua said PSI created the shell company, 1MDB-PetroSaudi, from scratch on Sept 18, 2009, just 10 days before its subsidiary received US$1 billion from 1MDB.

Four days later, on Sept 29, 1MDB bought 40% of new shares in 1MDB-PetroSaudi and injected RM1 billion in cash.

The next day, US$700 million was taken out of 1MDB-PetroSaudi and given to PSI. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on June 24, 2015.