Switzerland's Xavier Justo was the man who dragged the scandal surrounding Malaysia's state fund 1MDB into the limelight. He was convicted for attempted extortion and sent to prison in Thailand. The country has now rejected an extradition request by the Swiss authorities.
Xavier Justo, a Swiss citizen of Spanish descent, has to stay in Thailand. The judiciary in the Asian country rejected the request to have him sent back to Switzerland filed by the Swiss foreign office (EDA), according to a report by «Reuters» newswire.
The Swiss foreign office regretted the decision by the Thai authorities, an EDA spokesperson told «Reuters», adding that the safety and integrity of Swiss citizens enjoyed the uppermost priority.
Reduced Prison Sentence
The denial by the Thai was based upon the relative brevity of his prison term – Justo will have to serve a year in prison, after his sentence was reduced to two years from an original three years following an amnesty, according to his lawyer.
Justo was convicted because he stole confidential documents from his employer, Petrosaudi, and tried to blackmail the company. The documents suggested an involvement of Petrosaudi in 1MDB.
A Failed Attempt of Blackmail
Petrosaudi didn't succumb to the pressure and Justo published the files. He was subsequently arrested, but had already put in motion what became the corruption and money-laundering scandal involving not just 1MDB but also a series of banks across the globe.
One of the consequences was the forced closure of BSI in the Ticino, Switzerland's southern-most region.
