Litigation & enforcement partner Ryan Rohlfsen spoke to Global Investigations Review about a judge’s recent decision to vacate the surrender date of Roger Ng, a former Goldman Sachs banker who was found guilty of money laundering and violating the FCPA for his role in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. In 2022, 1MDB, a sovereign wealth fund, was found to have systematically embezzled billions in what has been referred to by the U.S. Department of Justice as the “largest kleptocracy case to date.”
On October 5, U.S. District Judge Margo Brodie ordered that Ng be turned over the to the U.S. Marshals Service to begin to organize his return to Malaysia and begin his 10-year prison sentence. The next day, a Brooklyn judge vacated Ng’s surrender date. Lawyers say his return to Malaysia may grant him a second shot at cooperating with U.S. authorities.
Though Ng declined to cooperate with U.S. authorities, he may change his tune when returning to his home country, Ryan told Global Investigations Review, because Malaysian courts are likely to be a “tough venue” for him to fight his charges.
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