SG SIPUT – Former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng is expected to return to Malaysia tonight to help in investigations into the 1MDB scandal, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said the government’s focus was on asset recovery and Ng would be handed over to the relevant agencies.
“I know because other than the (Attorney-General’s Chambers), most of the agencies or institutions involved are under the (Home Ministry).
“Barring any obstacles, he will return to the country at midnight tonight,” he told a press conference after launching the Menyemai Kasih Rakyat, or Mekar, programme for Orang Asli at Pos Kuala Mu here today.
Yesterday, media reports said Ng, facing 10 years in jail after being convicted in New York of helping loot billions of dollars from 1MDB, would be handed over to Malaysia to face related charges.
Saifuddin said Ng had been allowed to attend trial in the United States, where he had been convicted but had not yet started serving his jail term.
“We have not yet completed (the investigation). So in this case, we notified the US Justice Department through the AGC that according to an agreement, we can get him back once the trial there is completed.
“So the DoJ has agreed to repatriate him to authorities in Malaysia to continue investigations into 1MDB or Goldman Sachs,” he said.
Asked about the location of Ng’s arrival, Saifuddin merely said: “A safe destination.”
On another matter concerning investigations against Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s son-in-law, Saifuddin said he would be meeting MACC chief Tan Sri Azam Baki on Monday to help in the application for an Interpol red notice.
“For example, we need to state in the notice applying for the red notice what the investigation is about, the charges and the like. So, we will facilitate the MACC towards that direction,” he said.
Last August, Azam told the media that Muhyiddin’s son-in-law Datuk Seri Muhammad Adlan Berhan, 48, and one Mansoor Saat, 69, were wanted by the MACC in connection with corruption and misappropriation charges related to projects on the registration, hiring and storage of migrant workers’ biometrics in a ministry.
It was reported that Immigration Department records showed that the two individuals had left Malaysia on May 17 and 21 respectively and had yet to return.
Saifuddin also said his ministry through the National Registration Department was targeting to conduct 1,500 Mekar programmes by the end of the year.
He said that in the first nine months of this year, 1,411 Mekar programmes had been organised throughout the country and about 40,000 applications under the registration department’s jurisdiction had been received.
Today’s programme was attended by about 900 Orang Asli from the Temiar group from five villages in Pos Kuala Mu, namely Kg Kuala Mu, Kg Toh, Kg Bersah, Kg Gapeh Hulu and Kg Gapeh Hilir. – October 7, 2023