PRIME Minister Anwar Ibrahim has appointed Titiwangsa MP Johari Abdul Ghani to lead a task force to “settle” 1MDB scandal matters.

It was reported that Anwar agreed with Johari’s criticism of the government’s settlement with Goldman Sachs over the scandal.

Originally, to avoid criminal prosecution for its part in 1MDB, Goldman Sachs was supposed to have paid Malaysia US$2.5 billion (RM11.3 billion) in restitution, plus return a further US$1.4 billion in assets.

However, it has been reported the two parties are in dispute over valuation of assets and timeline for repayments.

The settlement was reached in 2020, when Muhyiddin Yassin was prime minister.

“I disagree with these past decisions, which were too light when the understanding was made.

“Goldman Sachs profited from our hardship and pain,” Anwar told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

Johari had urged the government to investigate the role of the settlement, saying Malaysia had been short-changed.

Johari also said the criminal conviction of two former Goldman Sachs employees pointed conclusively to the “questionable” nature of the settlement.

He pointed out that former Goldman Sachs bankers Tim Leissner and Roger Ng were part of the bank’s senior management, claiming they were essentially at the heart of the 1MDB fraud.

Ng, one of the key figures in the 1MDB scandal, was yesterday sentenced to 10 years in prison by a New York judge after the jury found him guilty of money laundering and violating US anti-bribery laws, The Guardian reported.

He is also expected to face charges under the MACC Act 2009 and section 4(1)b of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001. – March 10, 2023.