PSI using Thai cops for revenge: Sarawak Report
The arrest of a PetroSaudi International(PSI) ex-staff in Bangkok has prompted whistleblower website Sarawak Report to speculate that Thai authorities have been compromised and are being used to avenge the company against those who allegedly leaked information relating to a 1MDB deal.
In an open letter to the Swiss Foreign Ministry In Bern, Sarawak Report expressed its concern for the welfare of Swiss National Xavier Justo, who has been arrested in Thailand on the basis of allegations made by a PSI, a Swiss and UK-based company.
"I strongly believe that this Swiss national is being made subject to revenge and harassment regarding a matter over which the Thai courts have no valid jurisdiction," said Clare Rewcastle-Brown, the editor of Sarawak Report.
"I am concerned that corruption and or the misleading of the Thai authorities are behind this malicious arrest," she said.
Sarawak Report has previously published articles related to the 1MDB-PetroSaudi deal on how billions of 1MDB's funds were allegedly siphoned.
PSI is reported to be hunting down several of its former employees, through the local authorities for leaking the company's e-mail correspondence with 1MDB.
It announced late yesterday that one of its former staff members was arrested in Thailand and the person is cooperating with the authorities on the matter.
"Xavier Justo was arrested at his home in Thailand by the Crime Suppression Division of the Royal Thai Police yesterday and charged with attempted blackmail and extortion against PSI," said PSI.
E-mails proven authentic
Brown, meanwhile, said Swiss prosecutors were informed of the fraudulent activities of PSI through the services of a prominent anti-corruption lawyer early this year.
"I did attempt earlier this year to present details of the fraudulent activities of PSI to Swiss prosecutors, in order that they should be alerted over this criminal matter in good time.
"This with respect to the money-laundering of funds from the 1MDB through named Swiss banks," she said.
At the time the Swiss prosecutors responded they did not judge that my evidence was sufficient to proceed with enquiries, she said.
"However, I now have in my possession some three million e-mails detailing this crime, in which PSI was an engaged party," Brown said.
PSI have now effectively acknowledged that this material from their servers is authentic, by accusing this former employee of having stolen it, she noted.
"They have described him as an ‘IT worker’, but in fact he was a senior director of the company," she said.
Previously, PetroSaudi International had claimed the e-mails were 'forged', were 'hacked' and now that 'stolen' emails were 'tampered with', she noted.
She also called Swiss authorities to conduct a thorough investigation on fraud allegations relating to PSI.
"I'm awaiting a reply from the Swiss Foreign Ministry with utmost urgency given the gravity of the situation facing one of your nationals, whom I believe to have been wrongly arrested on false and malicious charges in a foreign country, which ought have no jurisdiction over this Swiss-based dispute," she said.
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