An ex-Goldman Sachs banker testified in federal court on Wednesday that greed and ambition motivated his participation in a massive bribery scheme that stole billions of dollars from the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.
The former chief of Goldman’s Southeast Asia operation — Tim Leissner — is the high profile witness in the criminal trial of Roger Ng, former head of investment banking in Malaysia.
The trial began in federal court on Monday in Brooklyn, New York.
Roger Ng is accused of receiving millions of dollars in kickbacks for his involvement in embezzling funds from 1MDB and for helping to form a relationship with the Malaysian finances Jho Low, who was the main mediator between 1MDB and the bank.
However, Ng’s lawyer on Wednesday asserted that Ng did not play a role in the embezzlement scheme allegedly committed by Low and Leissner.
Leissner said in 2012 that…
