Xavier Justo: Where is the Whistleblower Now?

of Xavier Justo: Where is the Whistleblower Now? Kumari Shreya
January 5, 2024

Among the various names associated with the 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad) scandal in Netflix’s ‘Man on the Run,’ Xavier Justo stands out for his determination to let the world know the truth. The consequences he faced for the same were certainly not one that anyone could go through easily. His path over the years was far from easy and made him a well-known name across the world, especially given the billions of dollars that the case was related to. As such, the viewers are eager to learn about the recent changes in his life.

Who is Xavier Justo?

An alumnus of École Supérieure de Commerce, Xavier Justo started working for Banque Scandinave in August 1988. He retained the position until June 1995, which was followed by him becoming a part of Banque de Financement et D’Investissement in August 1995 as a Deputy Director. August 1998 saw Xavier changing his company once more, this time joining Asset Management as a Director.

In August 2009, Xavier left Asset Management and ended up joining the Oil Services and Energy industry in London, England, in February 2010 as a Company Director. It was during this time that he joined Petrosaudi, and while the company’s former Director was told that the company was given money from the 1MDB fund to invest in the oil industry, Xavier confessed that he had never been able to see the numbers properly, and thus was unsure about just legitimate the dealings.

In April 2011, Xavier left the oil industry and was focused on building up his real estate business in Thailand. However, over the next few years, Xavier’s suspicions only grew as he saw many of his former colleagues acquire luxuries that he could not understand how they were able to afford. Due to his own connections, Xavier was able to acquire numbers pertaining to Petrosaudi’s business, thanks to his connection to the organization’s IT department.

It was not until 2015 that Xavier came in contact with Clare Rewcastle Brown, an Investigative Journalist from The Sarawak Report, who was deeply invested in uncovering just what was happening to the funds associated with 1MDB. The meeting between the two helped Brown tell the world many hard truths about the same through an article published on February 28, 2015. However, it also brought much trouble for Xavier.

A few months later after Brown’s article was published, Xavier was arrested in June 2015 on the charges of blackmail and was sentenced to three years in prison on August 17, 2015. In total, he spent 547 days in jail, which he described in the Netflix movie as an experience he does not care to remember. He shared how he was threatened that his family, including his wife and child, might die if he did recant his statements and admit that he had illegally stolen data from Petrosaudi. Xavier expressed how he did admit to being guilty out of fear of his ultimate fate. However, on December 20, 2016, he was released from Thailand’s prison.

Xavier Justo is Now an Author

In the aftermath of his time in prison, Xavier Justo has spoken up a lot about how his role as a whistleblower affected him and those close to him. Based in Valencia, Spain, he left behind the real estate business and is now the proud Founder of Expose Advisory Services SL. Through the organization, he often acts as a keynote speaker, giving motivational and knowledgeable speeches about topics pertaining to business ethics, banking, law, and helping whistleblowers.

Xavier has also written a book titled ‘Rendezvous with Injustice’ which was released on February 14, 2023. The book was made possible in large thanks to the help of his wife, Laura Justo, who has remained with Xavier as a steady support system throughout the years. During Xavier’s time in prison, Laura was left to take care of their infant son alone and had to overcome her own set of challenges while never wavering in her trust in her husband.

More than anything, Xavier seems to cherish the life he has with his family, including Laura. He has publically spoken up about what he had to endure for his role in the scam and how he now feels happy that he was able to uncover such a large scandal that involved billions of dollars pertaining to a sovereign fund. He has also talked about the same in the Netflix movie and continues to shed light on the finer details of Petrosaudi’s involvement in the whole situation.

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