DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng called on Malaysian authorities to conduct a full probe towards former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz and others exposed in the latest 1MDB trial in the US. — Bernama pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 — DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng urged Malaysian authorities to conduct a full investigation towards former Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz and other implicated figures that were exposed in the latest 1MDB trial.
This came after former banker and star witness for the prosecution Tim Leissner told a US court that Zeti’s husband Datuk Tawfiq Ayman was bribed in order to make BNM approve an “overnight” foreign exchange transfer of US$1 billion (RM4.9 billion) from 1MDB to PetroSaudi International (PSI), according to a report by news portal Free Malaysia Today.
“I think we should let a full investigation be carried out, not just on Zeti but also on the other expose, including the use of 1MDB money to buy a US$10 million mansion in London to resolve an apparent personal affair with a Malaysian woman.
“It’s disgraceful behaviour for a foreigner to use our money to resolve his personal matter with a lady,” he was quoted as saying.
However, Tawfiq yesterday had denied accepting bribes from former employees of Goldman Sachs as reported in the ongoing US corruption trial of Malaysian former banker Roger Ng that is linked to the 1MDB financial scandal.
Ng is charged in the US court with bribery and money laundering linked to funds misappropriated from 1MDB.
In 2018, Leissner pleaded guilty to similar charges and was forced to forfeit US$44 million.
In 2009, 1MDB entered a deal with PetroSaudi to explore oil.
US authorities believe that US$700 million of 1MDB’s US$1 billion fund injection went into Good Star Ltd, a company controlled by Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low.
In response to Leissner’s testimony, Bank Negara today said that all investments abroad by resident entities are subject to the requirements under the Exchange Control Act (ECA) 1953 that was in force prior to 2013, which has since been replaced by the Financial Services Act (FSA) 2013.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that Leissner also told a US court that he admitted to having used money he received from 1MDB to buy a US$10 million house in London for his then Malaysian lover, Datuk Rohana Rozhan who was at that time the CEO of Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd.
Leissner also told US prosecutor Drew Rolle that Rozana had threatened to expose his involvement with 1MDB.