FORMER Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng is back in Malaysia to assist in investigations into the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) financial scandal.

Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain said Ng, who has been convicted in the United States for his role in the looting of billions of dollars from the sovereign wealth fund, arrived in Malaysia around midnight.

“He has arrived in Malaysia, and he is under police custody,” said Razarudin, adding that he could not say more for security reasons.

Yesterday Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the government’s main focus was to recover the assets that had been stolen from the country.

“He (Ng) will be handed to authorities and agencies to aid in the investigation,” Saifuddin said.

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

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

“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.”

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 (then RM16.6 billion) 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 8, 2023.