FORMER Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng, who was convicted in the United States for his role in the looting of billions of dollars from 1MDB, was expected to arrive in Malaysia tonight, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said.

He said the government’s main focus was to recover assets related to the case.

“He (Ng) will be handed to authorities and agencies to aid the investigation.

“Barring unforeseen circumstances, he is expected to arrive in Malaysia by midnight,” he said today.

Saifuddin said he was informed of the matter as most of the agencies involved in the case, apart from the Attorney-General’s Chambers, fell under the purview of the Home Ministry.

“He has been sentenced to 10 years’ jail, but has yet to be sent to prison. We have yet to finish (our investigation).

“As such, we informed the US, in this case the Department of Justice (DoJ), via the attorney-general, that based on our agreement, once the trial is completed, we can have him back.

“As per the agreement, the DoJ agreed to have him sent back to enable Malaysian authorities to continue our probe into 1MDB and Goldman Sachs,” Saifuddin said.

Yesterday, it was reported that Ng, who was sentenced to 10 years in jail in New York for his crimes, would face charges in Malaysia.

On where Ng was expected to land in Malaysia, Saifuddin only replied: “At a safe location.”

Ng, who is Malaysian and former head of investment banking in Malaysia for Goldman Sachs, was sentenced by chief US district judge Margo Brodie in March, almost a year after he was found guilty of assisting former Goldman boss Tim Leissner in stealing money from 1MDB, laundering the proceeds, and bribing government officials to secure business deals.

Goldman Sachs reached a US$3.9 billion (RM16.6 billion then) settlement with authorities in October 2020, and had its Malaysian unit plead guilty to a corruption charge.

Ng was arrested in Malaysia in November 2018 and subsequently extradited to the US. – October 7, 2023.