PETALING JAYA: Swiss authorities have launched an investigating into whistleblower Xavier Justo (pic) for economic espionage.

According to a report by portal SwissInfo, an investigation into the Swiss national was opened by the country's Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in November last year.

The OAG also confirmed that Swiss justice minister Simonetta Sommaruga had authorised the prosecution of Justo last September.

The case falls under article 273 of the Swiss Penal Code for suspicion of economic espionage.

At one point during the 1MDB case, the former employee of PetroSaudi was arrested and imprisoned in Thailand for attempted blackmail of the energy company.

PetroSaudi accused him of having stolen the data, which revealed corruption involving the 1MDB fund to the tune of US$4.5bil. Justo claimed that he was given the information by an IT engineer.

Last month, The Edge media group chairman Datuk Tong Kooi Ong paid whistleblower Xavier Justo US$2mil (RM8.2mil), saying it was a "gift" for his assistance in exposing the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) controversy.

"The gift to Justo is in appreciation of his contribution to Malaysia in helping to expose the kleptocracy of the past government," Tong was quoted as saying.