The New Straits Times (NST), in an exclusive report published today, cited Whatsapp messages which purportedly reveal that Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown had conspired with several others to topple the Malaysian government.
The NST report said that according to sources close to Thai authorities, WhatsApp conversations over a three month period alluded to such a conspiracy involving Rewcastle-Brown, The Edge Media Group chairman Datuk Tong Kooi Ong and CEO, Ho Kay Tat and former PetroSaudi employee Xavier Andre Justo.
The alleged conspiracy revolved around a scheme to purchase data, supplied by Justo, which involved PetroSaudi’s dealings with state development fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Justo had claimed that he was promised US$2 million in exchange for the data he stole from PetroSaudi. Rewcastle-Brown is alleged to be the middleman between Justo and The Edge’s bosses.
Justo is currently serving a three-year jail sentence in Thailand for blackmailing and extorting his former employer.
The WhatsApp conversations supposedly also showed that Rewcastle-Brown had close ties with jailed opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, DAP lawmaker Tony Pua and former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
The NST report said these messages revealed Rewcastle-Brown’s "true colours" and her willingness to break the law.
Titled, "I will drink when Najib is done", a front page blurb on the newspaper named Kooi Ong and Kay Tat as being "implicated in this elaborate conspiracy to topple a democratically-elected prime minister".
The report also claimed Rewcastle-Brown had told Justo that she was “changing the destiny of one country” and that she would celebrate with a glass of champagne when “Najib is done”.
Meanwhile, the Edge Media Group today stood its ground, saying it was never part of any political conspiracy to topple the government nor had it tampered with evidence related to 1MDB.
In a statement today issued in response to the NST exclusive, The Edge said whatever articles it had published on 1MDB since 2013 were strictly in the interest of corporate governance.
“We wish to reiterate that The Edge Media Group and ourselves were and are not involved in any political conspiracy, nor did we have any political agenda when we published articles on the problems at 1MDB.
“We have been publishing numerous articles on 1MDB since 2013 when it became apparent it was facing financial difficulties.
“As a business media, our interest in 1MDB was purely to uncover what happened at 1MDB and the various financial and business dealings it undertook since its inception in 2009.
“Anyone who have read our various exposes would know that we have never linked the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Razak) or even the government in general to the problems at 1MDB. We had never given 1MDB a political spin in any of our articles.
“We pursued only corporate governance issues and held the management, the board of directors and the various third parties which have had dealings with 1MDB accountable for what had happened, which should be the case with any corporate entity,” Kooi Ong and Kay Tat said in the statement.
They added that they would take legal action against those who continue to make unfounded allegations against them and The Edge Media Group.
Read: Case to extradite Clare Brown will be filed in UK court
Read: 'Investigate claims Sarawak Report falsified information' - Rahman Dahlan
Astro Awani
Mon Sep 07 2015
The NST claimed that Rewcastle-Brown (pic) was 'willing to break the laws of several countries' to overthrow Najib's government. - File Photo
Pelabur perlu deposit RM2 juta jika mahu berhijrah ke Sarawak - Abang Jo
Premier Sarawak bersetuju dengan cadangan bahawa pelabur yang berminat untuk berhijrah ke negeri itu perlu mendeposit sekurang-kurangnya RM2 juta.
Tanabalan tiba di Madinah selepas 40 hari kembara motosikal
Tanabalan selamat tiba di Madinah pada Sabtu selepas memulakan kembara pada 20 Mac lepas.
Malaysia amalkan dasar luar yang seimbang, elak provokatif - Anwar
Malaysia mengamalkan pendekatan dasar luar yang seimbang antara Barat dan Timur, selain mengelakkan sebarang keadaan yang dilihat sebagai provokatif, kata Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anjing kejar budak berjaya ditangkap, ada pemilik - PBT
Majlis Perbandaran Manjung (MPM) berjaya menangkap tiga ekor anjing yang dipercayai mengejar seorang kanak-kanak lelaki hingga nyaris digilis kereta pada Sabtu.
Fokus Minggu Depan: Soladiriti Gaza merentasi bangsa dan agama
Break The Siege: Fokus Minggu Depan membincangkan topik Solidariti Gaza Merentasi Bangsa dan Agama susulan penangguhan misi penghantaran bantuan ke Gaza anjuran Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC).
Boling padang: Daripada jaguh kampung, Farah Ain kini bergelar jaguh dunia!
Farah Ain berjaya menempatkan dirinya di puncak dunia dengan menggondol pingat emas perseorangan wanita di Kejohanan Boling Padang Dalam Dewan Dunia, Guernsey.
Kekejaman Zionis: Angka kematian meningkat ke lebih 34,000
Sekurang-kurangnya lapan rakyat Palestin terbunuh dan berpuluh-puluh cedera pada petang Jumaat dalam serangan Israel ke atas kem pelarian Nuseirat di tengah Gaza.
Pertumbuhan saksama: Penglibatan negara maju penting
Tengku Zafrul melihat kerjasama dan penglibatan negara maju sebagai aspek penting dalam membantu membawa kemampanan dan pertumbuhan yang seimbang.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Calon PH lancar manifesto minggu depan
Calon PH Pang Sock Tao akan melancarkan manifesto sempena PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu minggu depan.
SPRM siasat pemimpin kanan di utara tanah air
Seorang pemimpin kanan di utara tanah air disiasat Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM).
Kes 1MDB: Najib percaya Blackstone dikawal Arab Saudi, Raja Abdullah - Saksi
Saksi memberitahu Najib percaya bahawa syarikat Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners dikawal oleh kerajaan Arab Saudi dan Raja Arab Saudi.
1MDB: Prosiding Najib julung kali dibuat pada Sabtu
Perbicaraan pertama dibuat pada hujung minggu ini berlangsung tepat jam 8.30 pagi, selepas bekas Perdana Menteri itu dibawa pihak berkuasa dengan menaiki kenderaan dari Jabatan Penjara.
'Kementerian Kewangan tiada rekod surat kelulusan Najib bagi 1MDB ambil alih Tanjong Energy, Genting Sanyen' - Saksi
Dalam siasatan SPRM, Kementerian Kewangan mengesahkan tidak mempunyai rekod ke atas kedua-dua surat tersebut.
Najib diberi peluang jelaskan mengenai dokumen 1MDB ketika disoal siasat - Pegawai SPRM
Mahkamah Tinggi diberitahu bahawa Najib diberi peluang untuk menjelaskan secara terperinci mengenai dokumen berkaitan 1MDB, ketika disoal siasat.
Najib tak pernah arah pengurusan 1MDB pindah AS$1.03 bilion kepada syarikat Jho Low - Saksi
Mahkamah Tinggi diberitahu bahawa Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tidak pernah mengarahkan mana-mana individu daripada pengurusan 1MDB untuk memindahkan AS$1.03 bilion kepada syarikat Jho low.
Tidak penting untuk tanya jika Najib arah AS$700 juta dipindah kepada syarikat Jho Low - Saksi
Saksi itu berkata demikian ketika disoal oleh peguam Wan Azwan Aiman Wan Fakhruddin berhubung transaksi yang dilakukan pada September 2009.
1MDB: Mahkamah akan tentukan sama ada pendakwaan berjaya buktikan kes - Hakim
Muhammad Shafee berhujah bahawa pertuduhan terhadap anak guamnya adalah salah serta bertindih.
1MDB: SPRM ke Riyadh untuk sahkan surat derma RM2.6 bilion - Saksi
Penguasa Kanan SPRM Nur Aida Arifin berkata pihaknya telah pergi ke Istana Riyadh pada 2015 bagi mengadakan pertemuan dengan dua putera Arab Saudi.
1MDB: Najib tak dedah mengenai pertemuan dengan Raja Arab Saudi ketika siasatan - Saksi
Najib tidak memaklumkan kepada SPRM mengenai pertemuan delegasi Malaysia bersama Raja Arab Saudi, Almarhum Raja Abdullah Abdul Aziz Al-Saud.
1MDB: Muhammad Shafee ditegur hakim kerana bersikap 'keterlaluan'
Ketua peguam bela yang mewakili Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak ditegur apabila dilihat menyerang kredibiliti pengawai penyiasat Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) ketika perbicaraan.