THE unfolding 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) courtroom proceeding starring former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner in the US is doubtlessly part reality, part soap opera – not to mention an exquisite work of an art.
On March 1, the former chief of Goldman Sachs’ Southeast Asia clarified in his testimony on that he did not personally buy a house for former Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd group CEO Datuk Rohana Rozhan as previously reported.
“Well, I gave her money to buy a house. But the house that I referred to last week for which I gave her US$10 mil (RM41.78 mil),” he was cited as per court transcripts obtained by The Edge.
This contradicted his own testimony on Feb 23 – which became talk of the town in Malaysia – whereby Leissner claimed that his decade-long extramarital affair with Rohana led to him purchasing a London home for the latter in 2013 after she threatened to expose his involvement with 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
Leissner made such revelation when asked if he had ever given Rohana any money he received from his 1MDB work.
Also, on March 1, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said US$10 mil assets and money in relation to Leissner’s dealings with Rohana have been frozen.
“Actions have been taken pertaining to asset and money freeze involved. Around US$10 mil have been frozen,” he told reporters at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya.
He added that the anti-graft agency has started investigations on the matter and confirmed that Rohana’s statement has been taken.
Elsewhere, Azam also mentioned that efforts are being made to return the money to the country and that MACC might summon the assistance of the Attorney-General’s Chambers to obtain more information from the US as well as calling Rohana up again if needed.
But the more pertinent question that is surely lingering in the mind of Malaysians is that how come MACC made no mention if the daughter of the late Tan Sri Rozhan Kuntom (former director-general of Public Service Department) will face court charges for being a beneficiary of fraudulent asset belonging to 1MDB.
What is known thus far is that the MACC has issued a freeze order on assets and a bank account belonging to Rohana under Section 44 of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activity Act 2001 (AMLA) which prohibits Rohana from making any transactions linked to her bank account in the UK or the said home.
Even then, Malaysians can at least take solace that MACC has acted on Rohana when it seems to take “a hands-off stance” with regard to Datuk Tawfiq Ayman, the husband of former Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz.
To re-cap, Tawfiq was also mentioned by Leissner in his testimony as the star witness in the New York Eastern District Court trial against his subordinate and former Goldman Sachs’ Malaysian head Roger Ng for his 1MDB scandal involvement.
In a statement issued on Feb 24, Tawfiq said that he had never received any bribes from anyone in his life. He also denied ever meeting or knowing Leissner or Ng.
“I wish to categorically state that throughout my entire life, I have never received any bribes from anyone,” he stressed.
In this regard, MACC’s head honcho Azam had on March 1 confirmed that the graft buster agency is not investigating Tawfiq who is currently being investigated by the police.
“For all things related to the 1MDB scandal, there is a task force for all agencies involved, including MACC and the police,” explained Azam. “Our role in this matter is just to repatriate the money linked to 1MDB in Singapore. That is MACC’s only task.”
In November last year, the MACC announced that Singapore had repatriated to Malaysia US$15.4 mil in 1MDB-linked funds that involved a company co-owned by Tawfiq.
The MACC also cited a news report from The Edge saying that the transfers totalling US$16.22 mil took place in 2008 and 2009 and were flagged to BNM in 2015 and 2016 when Singapore began investigating 1MDB linked transfers. – March 8, 2022
