The Benchmark blog warns against fraudster out to clear 1MDB, Jho Low

A screenshot of a blog similar to The Benchmark which is said to post twisted news to clear 1MDB of wrongdoing.

The blog "The Benchmark", which first leaked documents revealing Lembaga Tabung Haji's purchase of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) land, today cautioned readers against a "fraudster" blog using the same name.

A notice on The Benchmark at http://thebenchmark0.blogspot.com said there was a "sinister creation" of the blog using a similar template at the URL http://thebenchmark1.blogspot.com

The notice said it was a "desperate attempt by parties out to confuse the public on the criminal probe on 1MDB".

As such, The Benchmark said it would change its template until the fraudsters and their "hired operatives" are found out, and urged readers to remain vigilant.

"It must be noted that this move would not stop those criminals and their accomplices from attempting other methods of impersonation or misrepresentation," the notice said.

On the other blog, documents pertaining to 1Malaysia Development Bhd's (1MDB) joint venture with PetroSaudi International were published and appeared to be aimed at earlier revelations by another whistleblower website, Sarawak Report.

The blog post on the "fake" blog said it was untrue that Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low had siphoned off US$700 million (RM2.5 billion) through a joint venture with his company Good Star Limited.

Showing documents without attributing to their sources, the blog said 1MDB had never transferred any money to third party-owned accounts, other than to the 1MDB-PetroSaudi joint venture.

1MDB's deal with PetroSaudi had come under intense scrutiny after Sarawak Report said in March that Low had used PetroSaudi International as a front to siphon off US$700 million.

Sarawak Report had allege that Low engineered the joint-venture between PetroSaudi and 1MDB which resulted in 1MDB repaying the money to PetroSaudi.

The funds ultimately went to Good Star, according to Sarawak Report.

But The Benchmark's imposter said Good Star "is and has always been a fully owned PetroSaudi company".

"The entire joint-venture was done with the full knowledge and in agreement with the highest levels of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia leadership.

"We are sure that these and thousands more of these documents are now with the Auditor-General already. Let the truth prevail," The Benchmark's copycat site said.

In early May, the original blog leaked documents showing pilgrims' fund Tabung Haji's purchase of a 0.63ha plot of land at 1MDB's Tun Razak Exchange, which is prime land near the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

The buy at RM188.3 million put the deal at RM2,773 per square feet (psf), compared to the RM64 psf when 1MDB first bought the land from the federal government in 2011.

Criticised as a bailout of 1MDB, Tabung Haji then said it had been advised by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to sell the land, and said it had ready buyers waiting.

This move, too, was further criticised as Najib is chairman of 1MDB's advisory board.

The deal was also slammed for conflict of interest, as some top Tabung Haji executives also sit on 1MDB's board of directors.

- TMI