FOLLOWING damaging claims made by star prosecution witness Tim Leissner on the 1Malaysia Development Board (1MDB) trial in the US, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had issued an order to freeze the assets and bank accounts of former Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd CEO Datuk Rohana Rozhan.
Quoting sources, Astro Awani said the anti-graft agency made the decision following allegations that Rohana’s house in London was purchased using funds from 1MDB.
With that, Rohana is currently barred from carrying out any transactions using her bank account in the UK.
Two days ago, Leissner admitted to the court of having used the money he received from 1MDB to buy a US$10 mil (RM41.8 mil) house in London for his then-Malaysian lover, Rohana.
“Ms. Rozhan [sic] was very upset that I was ending our relationship to be with my future wife, Kimora Simmons.
“If I didn’t buy her a house, she would tell the authorities about my involvement in the 1MDB scandal. She was threatening to expose me. At the time, 2013, I was very fearful of that,” Leissner was quoted as saying by Bloomberg when questioned if he had given Rozana any money using 1MDB funds.
On the same case, Bloomberg reported that ex-Goldman Sachs chief Lloyd Blankfein met then-Malaysian prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 2009, just ahead of big bond deals for the country’s 1MDB fund — and that the meeting came with an agenda.
In return for the lucrative business, Goldman was to get Najib’s three children jobs at the bank, Leissner told the jury on Tuesday in his second day of testimony about the 1MDB scheme.
On related matter, Rohana, through her counsel from Messrs Valen, Oh & Partners confirmed she had given her statement to the MACC and pledged full cooperation to the investigation.
“I have attended the offices of the MACC and given them my full cooperation in their investigations,” The Edge reported her as saying. – Feb 26, 2022
