KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 ― Swiss national Xavier Andre Justo has lashed out at those who call him a “whistle-blower” yesterday, claiming he did not know the content of the data from PetroSaudi International (PSI) he was planning to sell.

In an interview with Singapore’s The Straits Times (ST), the former PetroSaudi executive said he was not aware of the buyers’ political agenda to allegedly bring down the Malaysian government, and admitted the stupidity behind his action.

“I am not a whistle-blower … It would be easy to be seen in that image, but I am not,” Justo told ST.

“They had a political agenda that I didn't know [about]. I had no idea what was in those files. I didn't know they were trying to bring down a government. I was stupid,” he said, referring to the buyers.

Justo also told ST that he was unaware if his confession and the proof of the negotiation to buy the stolen data have been submitted to Malaysian police, adding he had not been contacted by anybody from Malaysia.

On August 17, Justo was sentenced by a Bangkok court to three years’ jail for attempting to blackmail his former employer PSI, but has since indicated yesterday he would appeal his sentence.

The former PSI director 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 THB2,000 and THB20,000, The Star Online’s report had said.

Justo, who was arrested at his home in Koh Samui on June 22, is believed to be the source of leaked documents on PSI’s US$1.2 billion (RM4.51 billion) joint-venture with Malaysian investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) that purportedly suggest that hundreds of millions were siphoned out.

According to past reports, Justo had attempted to blackmail and extort 2.5 million Swiss Francs from PSI over the release of these purportedly incriminating documents.

Justo later admitted to the blackmail charges to the Thai police and provided information on the data from PSI that he had stolen when he left the firm in 2011.

According to Justo in an interview in July by ST, the documents were eventually given to two groups ― Sarawak Report’s Clare Rewcastle-Brown and her “IT” guy, and a “Malaysian businessman” and his colleague.

After the ST’s report was published, The Edge Media Group’s Datuk Tong Kooi Ong and Ho Kay Tat confessed to misleading Justo by promising him US$2 million payment in exchange for the documents.