Citing safety, IGP zips lips on US 1MDB convict Roger Ng’s Malaysia location
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 — Former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng who was convicted of abetting in the embezzlement of millions of dollars from 1MDB, is being held at an undisclosed location in Malaysia, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said today.
Razarudin said he could not reveal the exact location of the 51-year-old Malaysian who was convicted by a US federal court earlier this year for his role in the 1MDB financial scandal and repatriated home earlier this week.
Asked if he felt Ng’s life was in danger, Razarudin said that based on intelligence reports gathered, police felt it necessary to prioritise the former’s safety.
“He might not feel so, but for the sake of our investigation's interest, we are not revealing his whereabouts.
“I can only confirm he has been apprehended by us. That is all I can reveal for the sake of his safety,” he told reporters at the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman.
But he said Malaysian police did not deem it necessary for Ng to wear an electronic monitoring device.
“He wore it in the United States because he had already been charged and there but we don’t see a pressing need for it here,” the country’s top policeman said.
Razarudin said Ng is currently assisting Malaysian 1MDB investigators, adding that investigations are ongoing under Section 409 of the Penal Code for criminal breach of trust and Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act for money laundering.
He said investigations are centred on Ng’s exact role and the modus operandi of the multi-billion dollar financial scandal.
He is also optimistic that Ng can provide information that will lead police in its hunt for fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low.
“We have him now and we believe he will give us his full cooperation in the course of investigations,” Razarudin said of Ng.
“We will investigate him until we are satisfied with his statements and cooperation, there is no time limit,” he added.
He said that after completing its investigations, the police will hand Ng over to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Securities Commission.
Ng, formerly the Malaysian head of investment banking at Goldman Sachs, was found guilty by a US federal court in New York in March of conspiring to steal US$35 million (RM165 million) from 1MDB, and sentenced to serve 10 years in prison there.
However, his jail sentence in the US has been postponed after Malaysia requested his return here.
He reportedly arrived in Malaysia at about midnight on Sunday, after being repatriated to assist authorities in the ongoing 1MDB investigation.
