The wife of former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng told the jury in his trial over the 1MDB scandal that the “truth itself will save him.”
Lim Hwee Bin, the defence’s last witness after six weeks of testimony, was on the stand Wednesday (March 30) on behalf of her husband.
Ng is the only Goldman Sachs Group Inc banker to be tried by the United States over the looting of sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd.
Ng is accused of conspiring with his former boss Tim Leissner and Malaysian financier Jho Low to drain billions of dollars from the fund as Goldman arranged a trio of bond deals for it.
During the second day of cross-examination, prosecutor Alixandra Smith closely questioned Lim about her claim that US$35 million (RM147 million) the government says was a kickback to Ng was just a gain from a separate, legitimate investment she made with Leissner’s ex-wife.
Smith also asked Lim about her reaction to a June 2018 article in a Singapore newspaper reporting that Malaysian officials were about to arrest Low and Ng.
“Was that upsetting for you?” Smith asked.
“I wouldn’t use the word ‘upset,’ but it was pretty irritating to have his name come up,” Lim said.
Smith suggested Lim was testifying in an effort to protect her husband.
“No, I don’t need to protect Roger,” Lim said.
“I wouldn’t want to see him convicted for a crime. The truth itself will save him. He doesn’t need me to do anything.”
The US says Low paid tens of millions of dollars in bribes to Malaysian and Abu Dhabi officials in the global scam, as well as kickbacks to Leissner and Ng.
After the defence concluded, prosecutors called two FBI employees as rebuttal witnesses. One had done a financial analysis designed to refute Lim’s claims that an initial investment of US$830,000 (RM3.5 million), made around 1998, grew by 2005 to the US$34.9 million she said she earned by investing in China-based businesses owned by the family of Judy Chan Leissner.
The government is expected to rest its case when the trial resumes Monday (April 4). Jurors will then hear closing arguments from both sides. The case is US v Low Taek Jho, 18-cr-538, US District Court, Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn).
Earlier reports:
Mar 29, Roger Ng’s wife testifies at US 1MDB trial
Mar 25, Defence witness: Roger Ng left out at key meetings in 1MDB fraud
Mar 25, Prosecution rests in Roger Ng trial
Mar 22, Roger Ng took US$35m via wife’s shell company in 1MDB heist
Mar 20, Roger Ng’s wife accused of being co-conspirator
Feb 15, Ex-Goldman banker Roger Ng allegedly got millions in 1MDB-linked kickback