Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's office (PMO) has denied a Swiss daily Le Temps' report that the premier had a hand in preventing the prisoner transfer of an PetroSaudi International ex-employee and whistleblower from Thailand, to his home country of Switzerland.

"Contrary to what Le Temps published without any attempt at verification, at no point during the 6th Malaysia-Thailand Annual Consultation meeting did the prime minister or anyone from the Malaysian delegation raise any matter relating to convicted blackmailer Xavier Justo," said his press secretary Tengku Sarifuddin Tengku Ahmad in a statement.

Tengku Sharifuddin said that the report is pure fabrication on Le Temps' part and insisted that Malaysia adheres to the policy of non-interference in domestic affairs of other nations.

"Malaysia does not sanction attempts to interfere with the internal affairs or judicial process of other countries."

"Furthermore, the prime minster was not accompanied by the individuals Le Temps named," he said further.

The press secretary added that what was discussed at the meeting only touched on security and joint efforts to combat extremism, pacts on trade, economic growth and inclusive development for Muslims in Southern Thailand.

He claimed that this is the latest example of Le Temps publishing false allegations which is part of a now familiar pattern, based on "sources" which failed to supply any evidence to back up their claims, as no such things ever existed or took place.

"They attribute these to unnamed anonymous sources, but in fact the smears were briefed to them by Sarawak Report," said Tengku Sarifuddin.

Anti-Najib machinery

He further repeated his claim that whistleblower website Sarawak Report is part of the anti-Najib machinery in a campaign mounted by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad to influence major Western media.

"Sarawak Report has consistently spread false smears and malicious misinformation to Western media, some of whom have abandoned proper journalistic principles by publishing grave allegations based purely on claims from anonymous sources – all fed to them by politically-motivated parties," said Tengku Sarifuddin.

On Sunday, Sarawak Report published the English translation of the Le Temps report which was originally in French.

In the report the daily claimed Justo who was supposed to be transferred back to Switzerland to serve the remainder of his sentence for his blackmail conviction, will have to finish his jail term in Thailand instead.

Le Temps alleged that this was due to political pressure piled by Najib.

The Thai authorities have denied external interference in the matter.

Justo is serving a three-year jail sentence after he was found guilty by Thai courts of stealing information relating to PetroSaudi's dealings with 1MDB from his then employer, and then attempting to blackmail them for its return.

He was supposed to go home to finish his jail term in Switzerland after his sentence was shortened, after a royal pardon from the Thai Monarch.