1MDB scandal: Najib Razak seeks US court order for Goldman Sachs, Leissner papers

The former Malaysian leader was sentenced to 12 years in jail for his role in the corruption scandal

He said Goldman and its former Southeast Asia chair Tim Leissner could have documents showing officials are falsely implicating him to avoid responsibility

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Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak, seen here during his trial, says he was misled about the origin of funds that went into his account and believed they were political donations from the late Saudi king. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:25pm, 18 Nov 2020Updated: 12:31pm, 18 Nov 2020

Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak is asking a US court to let his lawyers seek documents and testimony from Goldman Sachs to help in his defence against criminal charges in Malaysia over the 1MDB scandal.

In a filing on Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan, Najib requested a court order that would permit his lawyers to serve subpoenas on the company and Tim Leissner, its former Southeast Asia chair.

Leissner has pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, and admitted to bribing officials in Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates to get bond deals for the bank.

Goldman Sachs has agreed to pay more than US$5 billion, including a record US$2.3 billion fine in the US, and enter its first-ever guilty plea for its role in the scandal.

Goldman spokesman Andrew Williams did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Najib’s request. Henry Mazurek, a lawyer for Leissner, declined to comment on the filing.

Najib was sentenced to 12 years in prison in Malaysia in July in connection with the scandal but is out on bail and is appealing his conviction.