KUALA LUMPUR (April 11): Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has contrasted the treatment by the courts in the United States of former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng Chong Hwa, who had been convicted, with a VIP here who he claimed had special treatment from the courts here in relation to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) case.
While Anwar, who is the Port Dickson member of Parliament, did not specify who the VIP is in his statement, it appeared to refer to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“The New York trial had ended in such a short time. The defendant (Roger Ng) was not allowed or given VIP treatment by the court to settle his personal matters, be it access to passports to go to non-important places.
“In Malaysia, a VIP who is also a defendant is getting special treatment by the court. This means that there are two sets of rules in Malaysia — the rich are treated such and such, while others are treated a different way,” he lamented in a Facebook post on Monday (April 11).
The sworn testimony of witnesses, Anwar said, had previously quashed claims made by Malaysian government officials that there was nothing wrong with Terengganu Investment Authority, which later became 1MDB.
Thus, the PKR president said it showed that corruption had stemmed there (1MDB) from day one, and this had extended for some time and continued because the existing system to provide checks and balances had failed.
He said every effort to stop the madness would end in failure.
“As a former finance minister, I am confident the huge funds with the big risk for the country's finances would not escape the country's supervision without the role played by senior government officers. Malaysians have the right to be angry and dejected that the people who have the power to prevent this robbery from happening had stayed silent and allowed this to happen.
“There are also guarantees by the authorities that Jho Low and his co-conspirators would be arrested. However, till today it is not successful. These characters walk freely in Malaysia for years until the last general election. How many opportunities to arrest the co-conspirators in this scam to face justice had escaped? I will not rest until all of them are brought to the Malaysian court,” he said.
Malaysia should not settle with Goldman Sachs
An officer from Goldman Sachs (Roger Ng) had already been convicted of the 1MDB scandal.
“To say that justice is served is not right. This follows that many witnesses in the US trial also mention the offences of others and the roles they played.
“The senior management of Goldman Sachs is involved in the 1MDB scandal and they should not be freed over their carelessness resulting in losses suffered by Malaysia. Due to Goldman Sachs' clear involvement in this scam, I repeat my stand that the settlement of Goldman Sachs with Malaysia in 2020 is premature and also failed to take into consideration the losses suffered by Malaysians,” he said.
"Heartiest congratulations to the Eastern District New York prosecution for their efforts in pulling one of those involved in the 1MDB scandal that led to its conviction. Now we want justice for all Malaysians,” he added.
Anwar, who is PKR president, was reacting to Ng's conviction by the New York court last Friday on all three counts of foreign bribery.
Ng was found guilty on two counts of conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in relation to 1MDB by bribing government officials in Malaysia and Abu Dhabi through bond offerings that Goldman Sachs handled.
Ng was also convicted on a charge of conspiracy to launder money. He is now facing sentencing from the US court.
At present, Najib is on trial with regard to 25 counts of money laundering of RM2.28 billion, and abuse of power with regard to 1MDB. He had already been found guilty of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering of former 1MDB subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd's fund.
For that, he is sentenced to 12 years in jail and fined a total of RM210 million, which he is appealing to the Federal Court.