Tan Sri Tong Kooi Ong, owner of The Edge Media Group, has revealed in his newly released book, Behind The Stories, how he played a pivotal role in providing critical information that led the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to launch an investigation into the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal. In September 2015, Tong secretly hired Canadian lawyers, Tom and Andrea James, to deliver encrypted emails obtained from whistleblower Andre Xavier Justo to the FBI, Swiss police, and the UK’s Serious Fraud Office.
According to Tong, shortly after these documents were handed over, the Wall Street Journal reported on September 19, 2015, that the FBI had officially opened a probe into 1MDB. Tong further described a significant meeting he had with FBI senior officer Robert Heuchling in Calgary, Canada, on May 5, 2016, where he answered questions about the emails linked to the scandal. Two months later, on July 20, 2016, then US Attorney General Loretta Lynch made a groundbreaking announcement, revealing that billions had been stolen from 1MDB, detailing how the theft occurred and identifying those responsible.
This marked a turning point, as both 1MDB and the Malaysian government had consistently denied any wrongdoing since 2013. Tong also shared how he met Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in London on April 27, 2015, after being persuaded by Tan Sri Nazir Razak to seek help in stopping further embezzlement from 1MDB. However, Tong admitted he was initially hesitant due to a past incident where he was forced to sell PhileoAllied Bank during Dr. Mahathir’s crackdown on individuals linked to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
In another revelation, Tong recounted a meeting with then-prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on March 6, 2015, where he handed over a nine-page briefing that detailed how Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) and his associates at PetroSaudi siphoned billions from 1MDB. This briefing, along with the emails, laid the groundwork for the international investigations that followed.
The book, Behind The Stories, not only details Tong’s involvement in the 1MDB case but also covers other significant exposes by The Edge over the last 30 years, offering insights into behind-the-scenes reporting on some of Malaysia’s most high-profile corporate and political scandals.
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