Roger Ng excluded from some meetings with key 1MDB players
Former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng's lawyers kicked off his defence yesterday that he was kept out of certain meetings held by key figures involved in the 1MDB affair.
Instead, the defence team showed the Eastern New York District Court that Ng's boss at the time - Tim Leissner - had spent more time with key players in the scheme, including with Jho Low...
Former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng's lawyers kicked off his defence yesterday by informing the court that he was kept out of certain meetings held by key figures involved in the 1MDB affair.
Instead, the defence team showed the Eastern New York District Court that Ng's boss at the time - Tim Leissner - had spent more time with key players in the scheme, including with fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low.
For instance, the court was shown a Blackberry message written by Leissner, which read: "Please don't tell Roger about our meeting with the friend."
That message was intended for another Goldman Sachs banker in 2012 at a time when Leissner, Low and Ng (above) were all in Hong Kong after a 1MDB bond transaction was closed.
Goldman Sachs had arranged three bonds totalling US$6.5 billion (RM27 billion) for 1MDB. Prosecutors in the US and Malaysia have alleged that most of the funds were squandered.
According to Bloomberg's account of the trial yesterday, shortly after the meeting in Hong Kong, an offshore account in the name of Leissner's wife paid a US$2 million bribe to an adviser of the then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.
The report did not name the adviser.
The defence team also showed that shortly after, Leissner attended a gala birthday party organised by Low.
While Leissner was on the official guest list among Malaysian guests, Ng wasn't.
Ng was also not aboard a yacht in July 2013 when Low presented Rosmah Mansor - Najib's wife - with a 22-carat pink diamond necklace allegedly purchased with 1MDB funds.
The pink diamond necklace cost US$23 million and was made by famous jeweller Lorraine Schwartz, who was also aboard the yacht.
The defence team also showed that Ng was not present with Leissner and Najib, who had dinner in San Tropez, France, a few days later. Ng was not in Europe at the time.
Ng is facing trial for money laundering and violating US anti-bribery laws. Leissner was charged with similar offences and in 2020 he pleaded guilty and was forced to forfeit US$60 million.
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