The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hopes to get a statement from the former PetroSaudi International IT executive who was recently arrested for his alleged involvement in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.

PAC chairman, Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the 1MDB issue goes beyond political controversies and PAC will continue to probe so that a factual conclusion can be made for public consumption.

“It would be nice if PAC can get a statement from Xavier Justo, however that possibility is highly unlikely,” he said via a text message to Astro AWANI today.

He said for now, PAC will continue its probe by gathering evidence, taking witness statements and analyse the facts available.

Nur Jazlan, who is currently on a work visit overseas, was commenting on the recent arrest of Justo, 49-year-old a Swiss national believed to have leaked information on 1MDB to UK-based Sarawak Report on apparent mismanagement and misuse of government funds.

Nur Jazlan said, the information from Justo could be a vital part in PAC’s probe although it would not be conclusive to the entire issue surrounding the government investment arm.

“The problem is, the majority of the rakyat is under the perception that 1MDB is in big trouble, and the PAC, as the Parliament’s court, has been tasked to provide the clearest and most transparent picture possible on the matter to the public,” he said.

He explained, although part of the information made available by Justo had reportedly been ‘tampered’ with, it didn’t mean that all of the information was incorrect.

“It was also reported that PetroSaudi had compensated Justo by the millions, which also raises questions about the validity of the information.

“I mean, why pay millions for untruths?

“The controversial investment in PetroSaudi is just part of 1MDB financial problems in which the government is still addressing,” Nur Jazlan added.

Last Monday, a Thai police team had arrested Justo at his home in Koh Samui, Thailand for allegedly blackmailing and extorting PetroSaudi as well as leaking information about 1MDB.

READ: Arrest of ex-PetroSaudi staff won't jeopardise 1MDB probe - PAC

READ: Emails leaked by ex-PetroSaudi staff tampered with - 1MDB