Court sets Sept 4 for updates on Roger Ng’s US trial

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has set Sept 4 for further case management to obtain the latest development on the status of former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng Chong Hwa’s case in the United States.

Ng is facing four counts of abetting Goldman Sachs relating to the sale of guaranteed notes and bonds belonging to a subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) totalling US$6.5 billion.

However, he is in the US for trial over 1MDB-related offences in the country.

Yesterday, judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan adjourned the matter to Sept 4 so that the court could be informed about the position of Ng’s case in the US.

He maintained the trial dates fixed from Nov 9 to 13.

Earlier, Ng’s counsel, Datuk Tan Hock Chuan, said he was informed that a case management date has been fixed in July for Ng’s case at the US District Court, Eastern District of New York.

He said he was not involved in his client’s case in the US.

“I do not intend to attend the trial (in US)... There is a case management there in July and then the court in New York will fix trial dates.

“When I know, I can inform. But the Attorney-General’s Chambers is in a better position (to update) because they are in touch with the US’ Department of Justice,” he said.

In the US, Ng pleaded not guilty to bribery and other charges in the multi-billion-dollar 1MDB scandal after being extradited from Malaysia in May last year.

On Dec 19, 2018, he was charged at the Sessions Court here with four counts of abetting Goldman Sachs relating to the sale of guaranteed notes and bonds belonging to a 1MDB subsidiary by omitting material facts and making false statements.

Meanwhile, media reports in New York indicated that Ng’s trial has been postponed until late January due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

He was due to stand trial on Sept 4.