Ng extradited to US to face 1MDB-related charges

PETALING JAYA: Former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng has been extradited to the United States to face charges for 1Malaysia Development Bhd-related offences, says Tommy Thomas.

The Attorney General said consultations held between the Malaysian and US governments led to an agreement for a temporary surrender of Ng for 10 months to enable him to be tried in the United States first.

“Roger Ng was temporarily surrendered to the United States on May 3, 2019, and shall be returned to Malaysia to face our charges as soon as the proceedings in the United States are concluded,” Thomas said.

He, however, said the period of temporary surrender might be extended upon mutual agreement by both countries.

Thomas noted that the practical consequence of Ng, also known as Ng Chong Hwa, simultaneously facing criminal charges for different crimes under two different systems in two countries meant that he must be tried in both the Malaysian and US courts.

Ng’s temporary surrender warrant was signed by Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on April 25, pursuant to the terms of the extradition treaty between the Malaysian and US governments.

Thomas said the Attorney General’s Chambers received an extradition request from the US government on Oct 23, 2018, against Ng.

“Acting on the request, we secured a warrant of arrest for Ng, and he was arrested on Nov 1, 2018, for extradition to the United States,” he said yesterday.

“On Dec 18, 2018, Ng was charged in our courts by the Public Prosecutor for offences committed in violation of our Capital Markets and Services Act 2007, namely, four counts of abetting Goldman Sachs, the US investment bank, relating to the issuance of 1MDB bonds.”

On Feb 15, Thomas added, Ng informed the Malaysian courts of his decision to waive his opposition to the extradition proceedings.

“He said he was willing to submit himself to the jurisdiction of the US courts to face criminal charges of conspiracy to violate the antibribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, conspiracy to violate the internal accounting control provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and conspiracy to commit money laundering before the US District Court, Eastern District of New York,” he said.

He said this arrangement for the extradition is further proof of the strong collaboration between the relevant government agencies of the two countries in all matters pertaining to the 1MDB scandal.

The US Department of Justice announced criminal charges last year against Ng and Tim Leissner, another former Goldman Sachs banker tied to the 1MDB case.

Ng is facing charges in both countries for his involvement in US$6.5bil of bond sales that Goldman arranged for 1MDB.

The authorities in several countries, including the United States, have alleged that much of the money raised was syphoned off to enrich politicians.

Former Malaysian prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is currently standing trial on 1MDBrelated charges in Malaysia.

Ng, who has denied wrongdoing, was deputy to Leissner when the latter was Goldman’s South-East Asia chairman.

Leissner pleaded guilty to US charges, including conspiring to launder money.