NEW YORK: A fugitive Malaysian financier said he won support from allies of former U.S. President Donald Trump for a possible settlement of a probe into the looting of funds from the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, a former Goldman Sachs banker testified on Tuesday.
Tim Leissner offered a glimpse of what he had heard from financier Jho Low about the attempted deal, on the sixth day of his testimony at the trial of Roger Ng, another former Goldman banker. Ng, 49, has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to launder money and violate an anti-bribery law.
Leissner, a former Goldman partner, said he had no independent verification of the information.
Leissner testified that Low, whom he described as the mastermind of the scheme, told him at a 2017 meeting that Low and his lawyers were in talks with the Trump administration about the potential for a multi-billion dollar deal that would spare several people from U.S. charges.
"Jho was quite comfortable and confident," Leissner said.
Low told Leissner he had met with Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, in Beijing and had hired Chris Christie, the former Republican governor of New Jersey, as his lawyer with the promise of a $10 million fee if the settlement was successful, Leissner said.
Christie said he represented Low in civil forfeiture actions in California that resulted in Low surrendering $700 million to the U.S. Department of Justice. He said he never entered into an agreement to receive a fee if charges were dropped in exchange for payment to the U.S. government.
"There were never any discussions between me and any members of the Trump administration that the criminal investigation would be dropped or any charges against Mr. Low or anyone else dismissed in exchange for payment to the government," Christie said in a statement. "Nor was there any agreement for a legal success fee to me to negotiate such a result."
Kushner could not be reached for comment.
Low, who was indicted by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn in 2018, has not been arrested by U.S. or Malaysian authorities. Malaysia says Low is in China, which Beijing denies.
Prosecutors say Goldman helped 1MDB raise $6.5 billion, but that $4.5 billion of those funds were diverted to government officials, bankers and their associates. The bank in 2020 agreed to pay a $3 billion fine and have its Malaysia subsidiary plead guilty in U.S. court.
Reuters
Wed Mar 02 2022
Tim Leissner offered a glimpse of what he had heard from financier Jho Low about the attempted deal, on the sixth day of his testimony at the trial of Roger Ng. - REUTERS
Lapan perjalanan feri Langkawi-Kuala Kedah-Langkawi batal akibat ombak kuat
Lapan perjalanan feri laluan Langkawi-Kuala Kedah-Langkawi terpaksa dibatalkan berikutan keadaan ombak besar, hari ini.
Teroka kawasan bukan jelapang, atasi pengurangan tanah
Selain terus memberi tumpuan kepada kawasan jelapang padi, Pensyarah di Institut Sains Biologi, Fakulti Sains, Universiti Malaya (UM), Prof Madya Dr Muhamad Shakirin Mispan berkata, Malaysia perlu meneliti potensi kawasan bukan jelapang serta memanfaatkan teknologi pertanian untuk meningkatkan produktiviti.
Zaim Ikhwan, Ismanira akan mohon kes abai Zayn Rayyan ditarik balik
ibu bapa Zayn Rayyan akan menghantar representasi supaya pertuduhan mengabai kanak-kanak itu yang dikenakan terhadap mereka, ditarik balik.
[TERKINI] Mohkzani dan Mirzan sudah isytihar harta
Dua anak bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad sudah mengisytiharkan harta mereka kepada Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM).
Petronas taja biasiswa RM320 juta kepada 600 pelajar cemerlang SPM
Petronas mengumumkan penajaan biasiswa berjumlah RM320 juta kepada 600 pelajar SPM 2023 di bawah inisiatif Powering Knowledge.
AWANI Ringkas: Sistem dianggap tidak berkesan
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Sembilan maut, Lubnan umum penutupan sekolah dan institusi pendidikan
Menteri Pendidikan Lubnan Abbas Halabi juga menyeru "masyarakat global untuk menghentikan mesin pembunuh Israel, yang tidak menunjukkan belas kasihan."
Pas kesal, dukacita dengan kenyataan Saifuddin Nasution
Tuan Ibrahim berkata, sepanjang Muktamar Pas berlangsung, tiada satu nama disebut dan diserang oleh Presiden Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang dalam ucapan beliau.
Kebakaran hutan: Brazil berdepan kekurangan sumber
Menurut Presiden Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, kenyataannya ketika ini adalah negara berdepan kekurangan sumber yang diperlukan, termasuk anggota bomba dan anggota pertahanan awam, untuk menguruskan wabak kebakaran dengan berkesan.Menurut Presiden Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, kenyataannya ketika ini adalah negara berdepan kekurangan sumber yang diperlukan, termasuk anggota bomba dan anggota pertahanan awam, untuk menguruskan wabak kebakaran dengan berkesan.
Taufan Yagi: Tindakan balas kemanusiaan antarabangsa diperlukan di Myanmar
Negara jiran Myanmar mesti mengetepikan politik dan membuka sempadan mereka bagi membolehkan bantuan kemanusiaan antarabangsa kepada rakyat negara itu melalui pihak berkuasa penentangan dan rangkaian masyarakat sivil.
Kes 1MDB: Malaysia tuntut Roger Ng kembali
Hakim AS menangguhkan tarikh penyerahan Roger Ng, yang dijadualkan pada 6 September, selama sebulan kepada 6 Oktober.
Rohana pulangkan AS$10 juta, tidak tahu sumber dana berkait 1MDB - Sumber SPRM
Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM, Tan Sri Azam Baki telah mengesahkan pemulangan wang AS$10 juta tersebut ketika dihubungi.
Johari Ghani dilantik ketua pasukan petugas selesaikan skandal 1MDB
PM Anwar lantik bekas Menteri Kewangan II ketuai pasukan petugas khas dalam menyelesaikan beberapa isu yang membabitkan skandal 1MDB.
Roger Ng sepatutnya dipenjara 15 tahun - Pendakwa raya AS
Bekas pegawai bank Goldman Sachs itu patut dipenjara 15 tahun selepas disabit bersalah rompak dan 1MDB bersama bekas bossnya, Tim Leissner.
Rohana setuju pulangkan aset berkaitan kes 1MDB
Bekas Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd, Datuk Rohana Rozhan telah menyatakan persetujuan untuk menyerahkan semula AS$10 juta yang diberikan oleh bekas pegawai bank Tim Leissner.
1MDB: PDRM kesan dokumen, saksi di luar negara untuk bantu kes Tawfiq
Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) sedang mengesan dan mengenal pasti beberapa dokumen serta saksi yang berada di luar negara bagi membantu siasatan kes melibatkan suami bekas gabenor Bank Negara Malaysia (
'Saya tidak pernah hadiri sebarang mesyuarat mengenai TIA' - Tengku Zafrul
Menteri Kewangan Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz menafikan dakwaan bekas pengurus bank Goldman Sachs, Tim Leissner, yang beliau menghadiri mesyuarat mengenai Lembaga Pelaburan Terengganu (TIA).
Pendedahan Tim Leissner babit suami Zeti bukan perkara baharu - SPRM
Bekas Peguam Negara pada hujung 2018 telah menyelaraskan koordinasi siasatan antara SPRM dan Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) berhubung kes ini.
Kenyataan Tim Leissner: LHDN, SPRM, PDRM dan BNM perlu jawab! - Anwar
Badan-badan siasatan digesa mengemukakan laporan menyeluruh dan penjelasan susulan kenyataan yang dibuat bekas pegawai bank Goldman Sachs Inc, Tim Leissner dalam prosiding mahkamah di A.S.
SPRM tidak siasat suami Zeti - Azam Baki
Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) tidak menyiasat Datuk Tawfiq Ayman iaitu suami bekas Gabenor Bank Negara, Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz berhubung isu berkaitan skandal 1MDB.