Justo to remain in custody for another 60 days

Swiss national Xavier Andre Justo will remain under Thai police custody for another 60 days, after investigators uncovered money laundering besides international corporate espionage-cum-extortion.

Thai police have assured prosecutors Justo will be charged before his 85th day of detention, but sought further extension for his detention as more details are slowly being uncovered.

‘This is a very serious investigation based on revelations brought to our attention,” Royal Thai police spokesman Lt General Prawuth Thavornsiri told The Rakyat Post.

And revelations from their interrogation has so far uncovered links between United Kingdom, United States, France, Russia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and an off shore tax haven believed to be the Caribbean Cayman Islands.

“He (Justo) has admitted to blackmailing his former employer PetroSaudi International with documents he illegally obtained from their computer servers, and this criminal act took place in Thailand and that’s our jurisdiction to prefer charges.”

That information, he added, was then sold to interested Malaysian parties and this exchange took place in Singapore and this falls under the island Republic’s jurisdiction.

He declined to identify the Malaysians, but did affirm 10 names were secured in the course of Thai police investigations.

In KUALA LUMPUR, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim disclosed that police had commenced investigations after a report was lodged following the Thai police revelation on a possible conspiracy to discredit the Malaysian government and Prime Minister’s Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s administration.

This conspiracy involves a media baron, a former journalist-turned-corporate player and politicians from both sides of the divide.

Described to be a multi-jurisdictional probe, Prawuth said the payment exchange for the illegally obtained information was to have concluded at a popular off shore tax haven island.

Based on interrogation details, one party was to register a company on the tax haven island and payments facilitated to agents representing Justo.

“This intricate and complicated payment method for the purchase of information was a money laundering method, whereby a “front company” was purchased and transactions facilitated through this company using dubious documents and vouchers.”

Prawuth said Thai police had documented proof of this mode of payment, and the various modes of banking transfers via numerous countries using other front companies and financial representatives.

“This is a serious investigation as it not only concerns discrediting the government of Malaysia, but also the manner it was conceptualised.”

Besides face to face communication between parties involved in the conspiracy, Prawuth said the conspirators also communicated via email, WhatsApp social media chat application.

“We have transcribed all recorded conversations and also secured documents… we got it all,” he added.

The Thai cop also revealed that those who purchased the information then rerouted the information to a journalist blogger based in the United Kingdom.

Investigators have ascertained the information had been altered or tampered before they were uploaded to the blogger’s popular site.

“There were evident changes between original copies sold by Justo and what appeared,” Prawuth said.

“Justo admitted to illegally obtaining the information, selling them to interested parties, involved in a money laundering ring, but has yet to admit if he indeed tampered with the information.”

This (his admission), Prawuth said was helpful for Thai investigators.

Now, the investigators are drawing up a chart of all the players – where, when, how, why, what and who – and linking the players in the conspiracy.

Justo is also assisting them towards this end with time, date and places of appointments, who was met and venues.

They double checked Justo’s information with flight and hotel bookings, arrival and departures of those who attended clandestine meetings and found them to be true.

“This was not only related to meetings in Thailand and Singapore, but other countries as well,” Prawuth said.