NINE QUESTIONS FOR SARAWAK REPORT: BREAKING / SWISS NATIONAL XAVIER JUSTO GIVEN 3-YEAR JAIL TERM FOR 1MDB-LINKED BLACKMAIL

SWISS NATIONAL XAVIER JUSTO GIVEN 3-YEAR JAIL TERM FOR 1MDB-LINKED BLACKMAIL
REPORTED BY THE STRAITS TIMES OF SINGAPORE

BANGKOK, August 17, 2015 –

Swiss national Xavier Andre Justo was sentenced to three years in jail by a Thai court on Monday for blackmailing his former employer PetroSaudi International, which is entangled in a huge scandal involving the Malaysian government.

His sentence was halved after his confession, according to court officials. It is not clear whether Justo will appeal as his lawyer has refused to take questions until he has consulted his client.

The 49-year-old former IT executive blackmailed his former employer, an energy company that was involved in a failed venture with state investor 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) in 2009. He then tried to sell data which he stole from the company to a group of people who he said intended to use it to topple Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Justo did not answer questions from reporters after his conviction on Monday when he was led away from the courthouse by officials around midday.

Local and foreign media had gathered at the courthouse as early as 7 am to await the sentencing in a case that has garnered international attention because of its links to 1MDB.

In an exclusive interview with The Straits Times in July, Justo claimed that he was promised US$2 million (S$2.8 million) in exchange for the data taken from his former company. But he said he was never paid what he was promised by a prominent Malaysian businessman.

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[RELATED: CURRENT / JUSTO AND THE EDGE MEDIA GROUP – "Yes, we misled [Justo]. But that was the only way to get hold of the evidence to expose how a small group of Malaysians and foreigners cheated the people of Malaysia of US$1.83 billion (S$2.5 billion). All the more so when we know he will be upset with us because we will eventually not pay him what he wants." - Datuk Tong Kooi Ong and Ho Kay Tat - The Straits Times, July 24, 2015]

[RELATED: BREAKING / SWISS NATIONAL GIVEN 3-YEAR JAIL TERM FOR 1MDB-LINKED BLACKMAIL – "The country’s anti-corruption agency later said the $700 million was donations, effectively clearing Razak of wrongdoing." – FultonCounty.COM, August 17, 2015]

[RELATED: CURRENT / CLARE REWCASTLE BROWN'S INTERVIEW ON CHANNEL NEWSASIA REGARDING THE WARRANT FOR HER ARREST – "The Prime Minister has now finally had it announced through the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission that that was not anything to do with 1MDB money, which actually certainly I and I don’t know of any investigative reporters who said it was." - Clare Rewcastle Brown - Channel NewsAsia, August 5, 2015]

[RELATED: SENSATIONAL FINDINGS! PRIME MINISTER NAJIB RAZAK’S PERSONAL ACCOUNTS LINKED TO 1MDB MONEY TRAIL - MALAYSIA EXCLUSIVE - Sarawak Report, July 2, 2015]

[RELATED: FOCUS / CLARE REWCASTLE BROWN'S IGNORANCE OF HER OWN COUNTRY'S LEGAL CODES -"11– Obtaining services dishonestly. (2) A person obtains services in breach of this subsection if– (a) they are made available on the basis that the payment has been, is being, or will be made for or in respect of them, (b) he obtains them without any payment having been made for or in respect of them or without payment having been made in full, and (c) when he obtains them, he knows– (i) that they are being made available on the basis described in paragraph (a), or (ii) that they might be, but intends that payment will not be made, or will not be made in full." - UK FRAUD ACT 2006, August 16, 2015]

[RELATED: BREAKING / BUSINESSMAN AT CENTER OF MAJOR MALAYSIAN CORRUPTION SCANDAL IS JAILED IN THAILAND – “I did pursue [Justo] doggedly to get the material. In the end he surrendered it for free." - Clare Rewcastle Brown - The Telegraph, August 17, 2015]

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He claimed a deal was reached in Singapore in February on the sale of the documents, which was followed by lengthy discussions on how he would be paid.

The group of people he met in Singapore to negotiate the sale of the data were named in a 22-page confession Justo made to Thai police.

While under remand by Thai police, he signed the full confession detailing how he had met a group of Malaysian media owners and politicians who allegedly sought to use the stolen information to topple Mr Najib.

The Malaysian leader is facing allegations reported in the Wall Street Journal on July 3 that U$700 million in state funds was transferred to his personal bank accounts.

– Tan Hui Yee, Thailand Correspondent

('Swiss national Xavier Justo given 3-year jail term for 1MDB-linked blackmail.' - The Straits Times, August 17, 2015)

– – –

RELATED: JUSTO SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS' JAIL
REPORTED BY THE RAKYAT POST

BANGKOK, August 17, 2015–

Swiss national Xavier Andre Justo has been sentenced to three years in jail for attempting to blackmail his former employer PetroSaudi International Ltd. He was ordered to serve his three years jail from the date of his arrest in the Bangkok prison.

According to the court officials, Justo will serve his three years sentence in Thailand.

It was learnt that the court initially sentenced him to six years but following his guilty plea before the judge this morning, he received a three-year sentence instead.

The 49-year-old Swiss national with ankle restraints in place, waddled out of court for an unknown destination leaving many at their wits end over what took place at the South Bangkok Criminal Court today.

It would seem Justo had confessed to charges read and another date has been set to file an appeal.

What charges were preferred and if Justo entered a plea remains unknown to the media and Justo’s friends present this morning.

His lead Thai counsel Pranot Kalanuson and team of international lawyers were conspicuously missing from this morning’s proceedings where blackmail charges were to have been preferred against the 49-year-old Swiss national.

Three hours after Justo was brought to the courtroom, the 6ft tall Swiss national walked out with his legs cuffed escorted by the prison officials.

When approached by media, a man who was identified as an assistant to Justo’s Thai lawyer declined to explain what transpired during proceedings.

"I was not allowed to divulge the details until I have spoken to Pranot,” the man, who refused to be identified, said, speaking in Thai.

Justo turned up in court at about 9am in a security vehicle clad in a dark pair of below the knee length pants, a peach round collar t-shirt under close escort.

He was taken to the King Rama V room, where discussions were underway with his lawyer.

The judge arrived around noon and 15 minutes later, the prosecutor and Justo’s legal team emerged.

Despite repeated attempts to get the prosecutor and Justo’s legal team to reveal what transpired earlier, both did not speak in English and continued to explain the matter in Thai.

In recent days, there were much speculation over what charges would be brought against Justo today for his alleged involvement in a corporate espionage-cum-extortion against his former employer PetroSaudi International.

When he turned up at court, hosts of media and his friends had gathered but they were not allowed entry.

He was expected to enter a guilty plea when blackmail charges were read, as police had disclosed that the Swiss national had signed a confession.

The confession was part of the plea bargain deal concluded between Justo and Thai police investigators.

('Justo sentenced to three years' jail.' - The Rakyat Post, August 17, 2015)

– – –

RELATED: XAVIER JUSTO JAILED IN THAILAND OVER 1MDB-LINKED BLACKMAIL
REPORTED BY CHANNEL NEWSASIA
A Swiss national, who attempted to sell stolen data linked to the 1MDB case, was jailed in Thailand for blackmailing his former employer.

BANGKOK, August 17, 2015–

Swiss national Xavier Andre Justo, who previously confessed to blackmailing his former employer PetroSaudi International (PSI), was handed a three-year prison sentence on Monday (August 17) at the South Bangkok Criminal court.

The 48-year-old former executive had earlier signed a confession admitting to stealing information from PSI, linked to a joint venture with troubled Malaysian state investment fund 1MDB, when he exited the company in 2011. Thai law still required that his plea be registered in a court of law.

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. In his confession, Justo named the individuals who offered to buy the information from him.

The verdict was expected and Justo’s lawyer said that once the plea was recorded he had expected sentencing to come the same day.

Thai police have refused to comment on the details of Justo’s interrogation but they have held several meetings with Malaysian police since his arrest in June.

Malaysian police had requested Thai authorities share those details to aid their ongoing investigation into the 1MDB case.

There was no indication of whether Justo would appeal the sentence.

– Arglit Boonyai

('Xavier Justo jailed in Thailand over 1MDB-linked blackmail.' - Channel NewsAsia, August 17, 2015)

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RELATED: JUSTO DIPENJARA TIGA TAHUN, MENGAKU PERAS UGUT PETROSAUDI
REPORTED BY UTUSAN ONLINE

BANGKOK, August 17, 2015 –

Mahkamah Thailand hari ini menjatuhkan hukuman penjara tiga tahun ke atas Xavier Andre Justo atas cubaan memeras ugut sebanyak 2.5 juta Swiss francs (RM9.95 juta) terhadap bekas majikannya, PetroSaudi International.

Hukuman itu berkuatkuasa serta-merta dan Justo, 49, akan dipenjara di Thailand sepanjang tempoh berkenaan.

Justo, warganegara Switzerland ditahan di rumahnya di pulau Kho Samui di Selatan Thailand pada 22 Jun lalu.

Dia didakwa memeras ugut PetroSaudi dan kemudiannya cuba menjual data yang dicuri dari syarikat tersebut kepada sekumpulan individu, termasuk kepada salah seorang pemilik agensi media di Malaysia.

– Utusan Online

('Justo dipenjara tiga tahun, mengaku peras ugut PetroSaudi.' - Utusan Online, August 17, 2015)

– – –

BANGKOK, August 17, 2015–

Xavier Andre Justo dihukum penjara tiga tahun selepas mengaku bersalah tuduhan cubaan peras ugut bekas majikannya, PetroSaudi International.

Hakim memberi pengurangan penjara tiga tahun daripada enam selepas mengambil kira pengakuan itu.

Hukuman itu berkuat kuasa tarikh tangkap pada 22 Jun lalu dan Justo, 48, yang digari kaki dan tangannya terus dibawa ke Penjara Bangkok.

Justo didakwa mengikut Seksyen 338 Kanun Keseksaan Thailand, iaitu cubaan peras ugut sabit kesalahan penjara maksimum 10 tahun dan denda 20,000 Bath [sic.].

Perbicaraan yang diadakan secara tertutup pada jam 9 pagi berakhir pada jam 12.15 tengah hari.

Mengikut undang-undang Thailand, Justo masih mempunyai peluang merayu sabitan hukuman itu.

('Justo dihukum penjara tiga tahun selepas mengaku salah cuba ugut PetroSaudi.' - Berita Harian, August 17, 2015)

– – –

RELATED: THREE YEARS JAIL FOR JUSTO
REPORTED BY FREE MALAYSIA TODAY
The Swiss national has been sentenced to three years’ jail for attempting to blackmail PetroSaudi International.

KUALA LUMPUR, August 17, 2015–

Swiss national Xavier Andre Justo has been sentenced to three years’ jail for attempted blackmail of his former employer, PetroSaudi International.

In a report by the Star Online, the 49-year-old will begin serving his three-year sentence fully in a Thai prison from June 22, after his original sentence of six years was cut in half after considering his guilty plea, which was part of the plea bargain deal concluded between Justo and Thai police investigators.

He was charged under Section 338 of the Thai Penal Code, which carries a jail sentence of between one and ten years, and a fine of between 2000 baht and 20,000 baht.

According to court officials, Justo has 30 days to file an appeal, which he will discuss with his lawyer Pranot Kalanuson.

"I will discuss with my client on whether he wishes to appeal," Kalanuson said briefly over the phone. Kalanuson and his team of international lawyers were conspicuously absent from this morning’s proceedings.

– FMT Reporters

('Three years jail for Justo.' - Free Malaysia Today, August 17, 2015)

– – –

RELATED: JUSTO JAILED 3 YEARS FOR 1MDB-LINKED BLACKMAIL
REPORTED BY THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER

Former PetroSaudi International (PSI) employee Xavier Andre Justo was today sentenced to three years in jail by a Thai court for blackmailing his former employer with information on debt-ridden 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), Singapore's The Straits Times reported.

The Bangkok South Criminal Court ordered the Swiss national's jail term to start from June 22.

Court officials said Justo's sentence was halved after he had confessed to the crime, which under Section 338 of the Thai Penal Code carries a jail term of one to 10 years and a fine of between 2,000 baht (RM222) and 20,000 baht.

It is not known if Justo will appeal as his lawyer declined to speak to the media, reported The Straits Times.

Justo, 49, confessed to taking information about 1MDB from PSI, an energy company.
Both were joint venture partners in a deal in 2009, which allegedly cheated Malaysia of US$1.83 billion.

Justo then tried to sell the data to a group of people whom he claimed intended to use it to topple Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Justo arrived at the court with his legs shackled, and entered the courtroom which was closed to the media.

He refused to answer questions from reporters after his conviction and was led away from the courthouse by officials around midday.

While in custody, Justo also admitted to handing the stolen documents to a "prominent Malaysian businessman" who turned out to be The Edge Media Group chairman Datuk Tong Kooi Ong, as well as Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown.

Justo said a deal on the sale of the stolen data was reached in Singapore in February, and named those involved in his 22-page confession to Thai police.

Both The Edge and Sarawak Report have carried exposes on 1MDB, and have been censured by the Malaysian government.

The Home Ministry has suspended two newspapers under The Edge for three months since July 27, and blocked local access to Sarawak Report.

('Justo jailed 3 years for 1MDB-linked Blackmail.' - The Malaysian Insider, August 17, 2015)

– – –

BANGKOK, August 18, 2015–

Swiss national Xavier Andre Justo will spend three years in jail over the attempted blackmail of his former employer PetroSaudi International.

The sentence was meted out by a criminal court judge in Bangkok South after the 49-year-old confessed to the crime in a closed-door hearing which lasted for three hours.
Justo, a former IT executive at PetroSaudi, will serve the sentence from the date of his arrest on June 22, and will do his time at a prison in Thailand.

He was charged under Section 338 of the Thai Penal Code, which carries a jail sentence of between one and 10 years, and a fine of between 2,000 baht (RM232) and 20,000 baht (RM2,322).

Court officials said an original sentence of six years was reduced to three upon taking into consideration Justo’s guilty plea and the confession he had signed while in police custody.

The Swiss national was told he has 30 days to appeal the sentence.

Justo’s lawyer, Pranot Kalanuson, who was not at yesterday’s hearing, said he would consult his client on the next course of action.

Xavier Andre Justo timeline

May 2015
PetroSaudi International lodges a complaint with the Thai police in May after documents linked to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) are published by the Sarawak Report.

June 22
Justo, 49, is arrested by the Thai police on Koh Samui on charges of blackmailing PetroSaudi International, a Saudi-based company, linked to government investment arm 1MDB.

July 24
An interview between Justo and a Straits Times reporter is published. Justo alleges that The Edge Media Group's owner and editor promised him RM7.6m in exchange for data he stole from his former employer PetroSaudi International.

The Edge publishes a reply to the interview on the same day.

August 7
Thai police complete investigations into Justo and submit documentation to state prosecutors.

August 17
Justo is sentenced to three years' jail for attempting to blackmail his former employer, PetroSaudi International.

The Bangkok criminal court rules that the former IT executive would begin serving his sentence from June 22, the date of his arrest. He is to fully serve the sentence in a Thai prison.

“I will seek instructions from my client on whether he wishes to appeal,” the lawyer told reporters briefly over the phone.

Justo appeared calm and collected as he emerged from the King Rama V room of the court complex, where the hearing was held, at 12.15pm.

Clad in brown overalls and handcuffed at the wrists and ankles, Justo did not utter a word to the waiting media as he was escorted away by prison officials.

A lawyer, who only identified himself as an assistant to Pranot, was reluctant to divulge details of what was said by Justo during the hearing.

“I am not allowed to divulge any details until I have spoken to Pranot,” he said in Thai.
Justo arrived at the court in a prison van at 9.15am, and was quickly ushered into the building through a side entrance for prisoners.

He was arrested by the Thai police at his home in Koh Samui on June 22 and charged with blackmailing his former employer over confidential data that was stolen from the company.

Thereafter, he signed a full confession detailing how he had met several individuals from Malaysia with the intention of selling them the stolen information.

The Swiss national, however, denied allegations that the data had been tampered with or doctored.

Thai police completed their investigation early this month and handed the case over to state prosecutors.

Justo’s case garnered interest in Malaysia as the stolen documents are said to contain confidential information on a joint venture between PetroSaudi and state investment arm 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

('Swiss national sentenced over blackmail attempt on ex-employer PetroSaudi.' - The Star, August 18, 2015)

– – –

BANGKOK, August 17, –

Swiss national Xavier Andre Justo was sentenced to three years in jail by a Thai court on Monday for blackmailing his former employer PetroSaudi International, which is entangled in a huge scandal involving the Malaysian government.

The 49-year-old former IT executive had blackmailed his former employer, an energy company that was involved in a failed venture with state investor 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) in 2009. He then tried to sell data which he stole from the company to a group of people who he said intended to use it to topple Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

His sentence was halved after his confession, according to court officials. It is not clear whether Justo will appeal as his lawyer has refused to take questions until he has consulted his client.

Justo did not answer questions from reporters after his conviction when he was led away from the courthouse by officials around midday.

Local and foreign media had gathered at the courthouse as early as 7am on Monday to await the sentencing in a case that has garnered international attention because of its links to 1MDB.

In an exclusive interview with The Straits Times in July, Justo claimed that he was promised US$2 million (S$2.8 million) in exchange for the data. But he said he was never paid what he was promised by a prominent Malaysian businessman.

He claimed a deal was reached in Singapore in February on the sale of the documents, which was followed by lengthy discussions on how he would be paid.

The group of people he met in Singapore to negotiate the sale of the data were named in a 22-page confession Justo made to Thai police.

While under remand by Thai police, he signed the full confession detailing how he had met a group of Malaysian media owners and politicians who allegedly sought to use the stolen information to topple Mr Razak.

The Malaysian leader is facing allegations reported in the Wall Street Journal on July 3 that U$700 million in state funds was transferred to his personal bank accounts.

– The Straits Times

('Swiss National Xavier Justo Given 3-Year Jail Term for 1MDB-linked Blackmail.' - Malaysian Digest, August 17, 2015)

– – –

BANGKOK, August 17, 2015–

The hearing of a PetroSaudi-linked blackmail case against Swiss national Xavier Andre Justo has been completed for today. The 49-year-old Justo, clad in brown Department of Corrections uniform and his feet shackled, was escorted out of the King Rama V room of Bangkok South Criminal Court by a group of correctional officers around 12.17pm.

The prosecutor of the blackmail case against Justo, who declined to say anything, left the court two minutes earlier.

Justo, married father of one, was also tight-lipped when reporters swarmed around him at the seventh floor of the plaza.

A lawyer, who appeared on behalf of Justo during the three hour closed-door hearing, would not comment on what transpired in proceedings.

Speaking in Thai, he also declined to reveal his name. He said he merely appeared on behalf of Pranot Kalanuson, Justo's actual legal representative, and was not allowed to divulge what happened today until he conferred with Pranot.

Justo faced charges over his alleged blackmailing of his former employer PetroSaudi for 2.5 million Swiss francs (RM9.95 million). PetroSaudi rejected the demands in 2013.
Depending on how the court accepts Justo's 22-page confession, he may be handed jail time not more than 10 years jail and a fine between THB2,000 (RM222) and THB20,000 (RM2223).

Justo was arrested at his home at Koh Samui on June 22. Among others, Justo also purportedly failed to receive a promised RM7.7 million payment from Datuk Dr Toong Kooi ong, who owned The Edge Media Group, for documents allegedly over financial abuse in ventures between PetroSaudi and 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

The Edge Media Group's two business publications The Edge Financial Daily and The Edge Weekly has been suspended for three months over its coverage of the 1MDB issue.

Justo was also alleged to have met Clare Rewcastle-Brown, the founder and editor of news portal the Sarawak Report, over the exchange of purported stolen documents related to the PetroSaudi-1MDB venture.

An arrest warrant has been issued by the Kuala Lumpur court against Rewcastle-Brown over alleged involvement in activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy.

The Sarawak Report is now temporarily blocked by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

Ex-PetroSaudi executive Xavier Andre Justo jailed 3 years by Bangkok South Criminal Court for blackmailing his ex-employer 2.5 million Swiss francs (RM9.95 million).

– HIDIR REDUAN

('Justo, lawyers tight-lipped after first court appearance.' - New Straits Times, August 17, 2015)

– – –

RELATED: 1MDB SWISS BLACKMAILER JAILED FOR THREE YEARS
REPORTED BY BANGKOK POST

The Southern Bangkok Criminal Court Monday handed down a commuted three-year jail term to Xavier Andre Justo, a Swiss national linked to an unravelling Malaysian government scandal. Justo, 49, pleaded guilty to blackmailing his former employer PetroSaudi and was told that without his confession, he would have served six years behind bars.

The Swiss has been remanded in a Bangkok prison since being arrested in Koh Samui in June. Police said Justo demanded 90 million baht from PetroSaudi in exchange for not disclosing confidential information to rival companies in 2013. But he denied asking for nearly 10 million ringgit more (86.4 million baht) in a blackmail attempt regarding the Malaysian state investment fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad.

Alleged connections between PetroSaudi and 1MDB surfaced last month, with the media reporting nearly $700 million (24.8 billion baht) in 1MDB funds were transferred in 2013 to bank accounts apparently controlled by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razaka before general elections. Mr Najib has denied any wrongdoing and called the leaking of documents part of a plot against him.

The controversy has weakened the Malaysian ringgit to its 1997/98 Asian Financial Crisis level and has undermined the credibility of Mr Najib, who chairs the fund's advisory board.

PetroSaudi reported to Thai police in May this year, after documents showing 1MDB's financial mismanagement were published on a news website, run by Clare Rewcastle Brown, sister-in-law of former UK prime minister Gordon Brown.

– ACHARA ASHAYAGACHAT

('1MDB Swiss blackmailer jailed for three years.' - Bangkok Post, August 17, 2015)

– – –

BANGKOK, August 17, 2015–

The Bangkok South Criminal Court on Monday sentenced a Swiss National Xavier Justo to three years in prison after convicting him of blackmailing his former employer, a Saudi oil exploration company, by threatening to reveal stolen documents.

The case has drawn the greatest interest in Malaysia, because documents said to have been leaked by Xavier Justo allegedly revealed links between a financial scandal and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Justo’s original six-year sentence was cut in half after he pleaded guilty Monday at a Bangkok court. He had been arrested on June 22 on the Thai resort island of Samui, where he kept a residence.

The court case focused narrowly on whether Justo, 49, demanded money from PetroSaudi International not to reveal information in files he downloaded from a company computer. He had been an executive in the company’s IT section.

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. 1MDB has been in severe financial distress.

The Thai court’s judgment said that Justo had agreed to keep corporate information confidential when his employment at the Saudi company was terminated, but then threatened to sell the information he had if they did not pay him 2.5 million Swiss Francs ($2.6 million). He was said to have told Thai police that he handed over documents to representatives of Sarawak Report in expectation of payment, but did not receive any money from them.

“Even though the defendant was not paid, his wrongdoing is considered severe in that it could lead to damaging” PetroSaudi’s business, the court said.

Interest in Justo’s case became intense last month when Sarawak Report and The Wall Street Journal published allegations that almost $700 million in 1MDB funds had been transferred in 2013 to bank accounts apparently controlled by Prime Minister Najib ahead of a general election. Najib has denied any wrongdoing, and called the leaking of documents a political plot against him.

Malaysian officials allege that the documents published by Sarawak Report were altered from those originally in PetroSaudi’s files to make the government look bad.

('Swiss National Xavier Justo Sentenced to 3 Years by Thai Court.' - Chiangrai Times, August 17, 2015)

– – –

RELATED: EX-PETROSAUDI EXEC GETS 3 YEARS
REPORTED BY THE NATION MULTIMEDIA

SWISS national Xavier Andre Justo has been sentenced to three years in jail for trying to blackmail his former employer, PetroSaudi International.

Court officials said a Bangkok Criminal Court judge ruled that the 49-year-old could begin his term from June 22, the date of his arrest. And he must serve his full sentence in Thailand. The court halved his six-year sentence, thanks to Justo's guilty plea.

The former IT executive at PetroSaudi was charged under Section 338 of the Thai Penal Code, which carries a jail sentence of between one and 10 years, and a fine of between Bt2,000 and Bt20,000.

Court officials said Justo had 30 days to appeal the sentence.

When contacted, Justo's lawyer Pranot Kalanuson said he would consult with his client on the next step.

Justo is alleged to have stolen 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.

While under police remand in Thailand, he signed a full confession detailing how he had met a group of Malaysian media owners and politicians who allegedly sought to use the stolen information to topple Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Justo, however, denied allegations that the stolen documents had been tampered with.

('Ex-PetroSaudi exec gets 3 years.' - The Nation Multimedia, August 18, 2015)

– – –

BANGKOK, August 17, 2015–

A Swiss man was jailed for three years in Thailand on Monday for attempting to blackmail a Saudi oil company over dealings with a scandal-mired Malaysian state firm, a court official said.

Xavier Andre Justo, 49, a former employee of little-known energy firm PetroSaudi International, pleaded guilty, according to the court official and a Thai police officer involved in the case.

"Initially he was sentenced to six years but it was reduced to three as he pleaded guilty," the official at the Bangkok criminal court that heard the case told AFP, requesting anonymity.

Justo claimed he had harvested sensitive company data before leaving PetroSaudi in 2011 and made several demands for around US$2.5 million (S$3.5 million) to return it, according to the police.

"He met a representative of the company in a Bangkok hotel and made the demand, which the company reported to us," the policeman told AFP, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media.

"We don't know what kind of information he had, or if he really had it." Justo has been held on remand since his arrest on the Thai island of Koh Samui in June.

PetroSaudi is an oil and gas company with offices in the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland.

1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), an investment company launched in 2009 by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, has said it was involved in complex financial deals with PetroSaudi that year.

1MDB is owned by Malaysia's finance ministry, and Najib still chairs the company's advisory board.

A string of Malaysian and overseas investigative reports this year have alleged that hundreds of millions of dollars in 1MDB money went missing from the PetroSaudi deals.
1MDB has repeatedly rejected these accusations. Najib has also repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

PetroSaudi has similarly denied any wrongdoing.

A Wall Street Journal investigative report last month further revealed that nearly US$700 million had been deposited into Najib's personal accounts.

Both Najib and 1MDB strongly deny the nearly US$700 million came from the state investment firm.

Malaysia's anti-corruption agency and members of his Cabinet says the transfers were from unidentified donors from the Middle East.

Critics in Malaysia's opposition and the ruling party have pressed both 1MDB and Najib for full disclosure.

('Thai court jails ex-PetroSaudi exec for oil firm blackmail bid.' - AsiaOne News, August 17, 2015)

– – –

RELATED: THAI COURT JAILS SWISS FOR CORPORATE BLACKMAIL BID
REPORTED BY THELOCAL.CH
A Swiss man was jailed for three years in Thailand on Monday for attempting to blackmail a Saudi oil company over dealings with a scandal-mired Malaysian state firm, a court official said.

Xavier André Justo, 49, a former employee of little-known energy firm PetroSaudi International, pleaded guilty, according to the court official and a Thai police officer involved in the case.

"Initially he was sentenced to six years but it was reduced to three as he pleaded guilty," the official at the Bangkok criminal court that heard the case told AFP, requesting anonymity.

Justo claimed he had harvested sensitive company data before leaving PetroSaudi in 2011 and made several demands for around $2.5 million to return it, according to the police.

"He met a representative of the company in a Bangkok hotel and made the demand, which the company reported to us," the policeman told AFP, requesting anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

"We don't know what kind of information he had, or if he really had it."

Justo has been held on remand since his arrest on the Thai island of Koh Samui in June.
PetroSaudi is an oil and gas company with offices in the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland.

1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), an investment company launched in 2009 by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, has said it was involved in complex financial deals with PetroSaudi that year.

1MDB is owned by Malaysia's finance ministry, and Najib still chairs the company's advisory board.

A string of Malaysian and overseas investigative reports this year have alleged that hundreds of millions of dollars in 1MDB money went missing from the PetroSaudi deals.
1MDB has repeatedly rejected these accusations. Najib has also repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

PetroSaudi has similarly denied any wrongdoing.

A Wall Street Journal investigative report last month further revealed that nearly $700 million had been deposited into Najib's personal accounts.

Both Najib and 1MDB strongly deny the nearly $700 million came from the state investment firm.

Malaysia's anti-corruption agency and members of his Cabinet says the transfers were from unidentified donors from the Middle East.

Critics in Malaysia's opposition and the ruling party have pressed both 1MDB and Najib for full disclosure.

('Thai court jails Swiss for corporate blackmail bid.' - TheLocal.CH, August 17, 2015)

– – –

RELATED: THAI COURT SENTENCES SWISS MAN TO 3 YEARS FOR BLACKMAIL
REPORTED BY SWISSINFO.CH

A former executive at the Geneva branch of oil and gas company PetroSaudi International Ltd, was sentenced to three years imprisonment on Monday after pleading guilty to blackmailing his former employer.

Xavier Justo, a Swiss national who quit PetroSaudi International in 2011, allegedly possessed compromising information which he wanted to hand over in return for $2.5 million (CHF2.44 million). He was arrested in June on the island of Koh Samui, where he was living at the time.

According to an official of the Bangkok criminal court, “he was sentenced to six years in prison, however the sentence was reduced to three years as he pleaded guilty.”

Thai police revealed that the 49-year-old Geneva native had met a representative of PetroSaudi at a Bangkok hotel where he made his demand for money. The company brought this to the attention of the police. It is still unclear what compromising information the Swiss had in his possession, if any.

As of now, it is not known if the alleged confidential documents are linked to Malaysia's investment fund 1MDB, which is being investigated for graft after leaked documents including a deal between 1MDB and PetroSaudi were released in the media.

“We have been the victims of a regrettable crime that has unfortunately been politicised in Malaysia,” said a PetroSaudi spokesperson in June after Justo’s arrest.

Both PetroSaudi and 1MDB said they were fully cooperating with the Thai investigation.

– Swissinfo.ch and Agencies

('Thai court sentences Swiss man to 3 years for blackmail.' - SwissInfo.CH, August 17, 2015)

– – –

BANGKOK (AP), August 17, 2015–

A Thai court has sentenced a Swiss man to three years in prison on charges of blackmailing his former employer, a Saudi oil company, by threatening to reveal stolen documents.

The case has drawn the greatest interest in Malaysia, because documents said to have been leaked by Xavier Justo allegedly revealed links between a financial scandal and Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Justo's original six-year sentence was cut in half after he pleaded guilty Monday at a Bangkok court.

The court case focused narrowly on whether Justo demanded money from PetroSaudi International not to reveal information in files he downloaded from a company computer.

However, Thai police have said Justo confessed that he handed over documents involving PetroSaudi's dealings with Malaysia to a Malaysian anti-government news website."

('Thai court finds Swiss man guilty of blackmailing oil firm.' - Daily Mail UK, August 17, 2015)

– – –

BANGKOK (AP), August 17, 2015–

A Thai court has sentenced a Swiss man to three years in prison on charges of blackmailing his former employer, a Saudi oil company, by threatening to reveal stolen documents.

The case has drawn the greatest interest in Malaysia, because documents said to have been leaked by Xavier Justo allegedly revealed links between a financial scandal and Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Justo's original six-year sentence was cut in half after he pleaded guilty Monday at a Bangkok court.

The court case focused narrowly on whether Justo demanded money from PetroSaudi International not to reveal information in files he downloaded from a company computer.

However, Thai police have said Justo confessed that he handed over documents involving PetroSaudi's dealings with Malaysia to a Malaysian anti-government news website.

('Thai court sentences Swiss man to 3 years in jail on charges of blackmailing Saudi oil company.' - Fox News, August 17, 2015)

– – –

RELATED: SWISS IT EXEC GETS 3 YEARS IN CASE LINKED TO MALAYSIAN INVESTMENT SCANDAL
REPORTED BY ONTARIO STAR
Xavier Justo, sentenced Monday, was convicted of blackmailing his former employer, a Saudi oil company, over its dealings with the troubled Malaysian state investment fund 1MDB.

BANGKOK (AP), August 17, 2015—

A Thai court on Monday sentenced a Swiss man to three years in prison after convicting him of blackmailing his former employer, a Saudi oil exploration company, by threatening to reveal stolen documents.

The case has drawn the greatest interest in Malaysia, because documents said to have been leaked by Xavier Justo allegedly revealed links between a financial scandal and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Justo’s original six-year sentence was cut in half after he pleaded guilty Monday at a Bangkok court. He had been arrested on June 22 on the Thai resort island of Samui, where he kept a residence.

The court case focused narrowly on whether Justo, 49, demanded money from PetroSaudi International not to reveal information in files he downloaded from a company computer. He had been an executive in the company’s IT section.

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. 1MDB has been in severe financial distress.

The Thai court’s judgment said that Justo had agreed to keep corporate information confidential when his employment at the Saudi company was terminated, but then threatened to sell the information he had if they did not pay him 2.5 million Swiss Francs ($2.6 million U.S.). He was said to have told Thai police that he handed over documents to representatives of Sarawak Report in expectation of payment, but did not receive any money from them.

– - –

“Even though the defendant was not paid, his wrongdoing is considered severe in that it could lead to damaging” PetroSaudi’s business, the court said.

Interest in Justo’s case became intense last month when Sarawak Report and The Wall Street Journal published allegations that almost $700 million in 1MDB funds had been transferred in 2013 to bank accounts apparently controlled by Prime Minister Najib ahead of a general election. Najib has denied any wrongdoing, and called the leaking of documents a political plot against him.

Malaysian officials allege that the documents published by Sarawak Report were altered from those originally in PetroSaudi’s files to make the government look bad.

('Swiss IT exec gets 3 years in case lined to Malaysian investment scandal.' - Ontario Star, August 17, 2015)

– – –

RELATED: THAILAND: SWISS MAN LINKED TO 1MDB PROBE GETS 3 YRS JAIL
REPORTED BY FULTONCOUNTY.COM
Xavier Justo had attempted to sell data stolen from previous employer to prominent Malaysian businessman and website which claimed $700 million from 1MDB had gone to Malaysian PM

BANGKOK, August 17, 2015–

A Swiss national has been sentenced to three-years in jail by a Bangkok criminal court for trying to extort money from a former employer embroiled in a huge financial scandal linked to Malaysia’s troubled state development fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Singapore TV Channel News Asia reported on its website Monday that Xavier Justo was liable to a maximum jail sentence of seven-years but was given a lighter sentence after pleading guilty.

The 48-year-old had confessed to having stolen 90 Gigabits of data from PetroSaudi, a company he left in 2011 which had established a joint-venture with 1MDB, and then in 2013 using the confidential material to try and blackmail his former employers, who refused to pay.

In a detailed confession, Justo explained that he then attempted to sell the data to both a prominent Malaysian businessman and to London-based website Sarawak Report for $2 million, but he claimed he was never paid because of logistic problems.

Early last month, the Wall Street Journal and Sarawak released reports quoting documents they said were from a probe into 1MDB which claimed 2.6 billion Ringgit ($700 million) moved among government agencies, banks and entities linked to 1MDB, before finally ending up in the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s personal accounts in five separate deposits.

A report published last month in Singaporean daily the Straits Times claimed that Justo had affirmed that the businessman and Clare Rewcastle-Brown, the editor of the Sarawak report, wanted to use the data to “bring down the Malaysian government”.

He also said that his interlocutors had evoked the possibility of “modifying the documents”, which Rewcastle-Brown has denied.

The country’s anti-corruption agency later said the $700 million was donations, effectively clearing Razak of wrongdoing.

Razak has accused his political enemies of fomenting a campaign to discredit him.

On Monday, Malaysian police announced that it will investigate an alleged plot to topple the Malaysian PM.

– Max Constant