MALAYSIAN Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki said the agency was waiting for police to complete their investigation of former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng, who was linked to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal, before starting its own probe.

Azam said there was no current need for the MACC to call Ng up for questioning.

“The police investigation should be given priority as they may have more important information in this case.

“We will let police complete their investigation first and look at their findings. Maybe their investigations will cover what we need,” Azam told a press conference after attending a public-private partnership programme in Kuala Lumpur today.

On April 8 last year, Ng was found guilty by a court in the United States for conspiring to embezzle hundreds of millions of dollars from 1MDB and was subsequently sentenced to 10 years in prison in New York.

On October 5, the United States District Court ordered Ng to be repatriated to Malaysia to face charges here.

In his speech at the programme that addressed the common challenge of integrity in tackling financial crime, Azam said some people have used financial institutions as safe havens to hide illicit funds and launder proceeds from illegal activities.

“Cyber criminals are becoming increasingly creative in seeking vulnerabilities to bypass customer due diligence processes and exploit various financial instruments to carry out unlawful activities,” he said.

He said the rapid advancement of technology has allowed corrupt people who made the modus operandi of corrupt individuals evolve and become more complex.

Azam said financial institutions were frontliners in the fight against corruption and fraud as financial fraud, corrupt activities, and money laundering often involve them. – Bernama, October 12, 2023.