Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua said today he connected Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown with the editors of business publication The Edge , but denies being part of a conspiracy to topple Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

The New Straits Times today implicated Pua in the deal between The Edge and former PetroSaudi employee Xavier Justo in connection with leaked information on the Saudi oil firm and state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

“I was not involved in any such transaction,” Pua said when contacted.

NST in its report cited Justo’s alleged written confession, claiming that the deal with The Edge was brokered by Rewcastle-Brown and Pua.

However, Pua ( photo ) said he only introduced The Edge to Rewcastle-Brown and was not privy to anything else.

Asked if he was involved in any conspiracy or had prior knowledge of the information leaked, he said: "Nope and nope."

He added he only knew the details when it was published in Sarawak Report.

He said NST was using his limited involvement to paint him as a co-conspirator "as NST would".

In a statement later, he said he knew no one named Justo until the Swiss national made headlines following his arrest in Thailand.

Jailed for blackmail

He added that he has known Rewcastle-Brown since 2012 because of her work at the whistleblower website and has shared contacts with the journalists over the years.

Pua said removing a prime minister is not a crime, if done via democratic means.

Given the corruption allegations surrounding the PM now, he said, most Malaysians would join Rewcastle-Brown in have a celebratory drink if Najib resigns.

The Edge earlier said it offered Justo money for the information, but did not pay him.

Justo was on Aug 17 jailed for three years by a court in Thailand for attempted blackmail.

This involved email between 1MDB and PetroSaudi indicating how funds were moved from 1MBD to a firm controlled by a family friend of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, Jho Low.

Yesterday, Rewcastle-Brown said she “sounded out” several quarters to see if they were interested in Justo’s information but no politician paid for it.

The Edge owner Tong Ooi Kong also denied being part of a conspiracy to topple Najib.