Ahmad Shabery challenges Opposition to deny having met Justo

Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek challenged the opposition to deny having met former PetroSaudi International Ltd (PetroSaudi) director Xavier Andre Justo to buy classified data.

"If they cannot deny the fact, then it will go to show the people that such allegations are true," he told reporters when met at the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers' Hari Raya Open House at Seri Perdana, here today when asked to comment on Thai police spokesman Lt Gen Prawut Thavornsiri's claim that Justo had met a prominent leader from the opposition before allegedly selling classified information about the company.

Thavornsiri had said the Swiss national had admitted to meeting the individual at a hotel in Singapore.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Shabery said if former journalist Lester Melanyi's claims in a video revealed by Barisan Nasional strategic communications director Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, that the opposition had conspired with Sarawak Report to publish forged documents on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) was true, it shows that there was a conspiracy to bring down Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

"I have seen the video and the confession was shocking and can be an important evidence to prove that the conspiracy was serious," he said.

Local daily The Star reported Abdul Rahman as saying that the video featuring Melanyi was part of evidence handed over by someone who had lodged a police report recently.

Lester had allegedly said in a video uploaded on YouTube that his salary was wired from Western Union, which was paid in his brother-in-law’s name, and claimed that he had refused Sarawak Report founder Clare Rewcastle-Brown’s request last January to get fake emails from London on 1MDB in a “1MDB plan” involving two opposition lawmakers.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the opposition must clarify claims in the video.

"They must prove the validity of such claims in the video because if it is true, it is a serious matter...but I do not want to accuse anyone," he said.

Agriculture and Agro Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob also agreed with Ahmad Shabery and Hishammuddin that the opposition must clarify such claims and action taken against those responsible.

A special task force is currently investigating claims reported in US business paper the Wall Street Journal that US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) from state-owned 1MDB was channelled to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s personal bank accounts.