Roger Ng will face 1MDB charges in M'sia first, says Muhyiddin

The extradition of former Goldman Sachs managing director, Roger Ng to the United States will only be carried out after his cases in the Malaysian courts are completed, Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said today.

Muhyiddin said this was the advice of attorney-general Tommy Thomas to him via an official letter a few days ago, informing that Ng has to face charges in Malaysia next month.

"So it is likely that Ng's extradition will have to be postponed because priority is on his cases in Malaysia. 

"That was the advice of the attorney-general," he said when asked to comment on Ng's extradition after the 47th anniversary celebration of the Volunteer Corps Department at his ministry today.

On Feb 15, Ng, whose full name is Ng Chong Hwa, 47, reportedly agreed to be extradited to the US to face three criminal charges relating to 1MDB.

Judge MM Edwin Paramjothy allowed the application by Ng as the respondent when the case was mentioned at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.

Ng, who is currently on remand under the Extradition Act 1992 (Act 476), is seeking to be exempted from facing the extradition proceedings filed by the Malaysian government against him.

During the proceedings, Ng’s counsel Tan Hock Chuan said that his client had agreed to be extradited to the US within 30 days, as he was ready to face the charges, which would be heard in a court in New York.

Ng was detained on Nov 1 last year based on a warrant of arrest applied by the US government, and was ordered to undergo a 60-day remand for the extradition proceedings after he was faced with three charges in a New York court.

In November last year, he was charged in absentia in a court in the US together with former Goldman Sachs executive Tim Leissner and fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho.

According to the charges, Low and and Ng had conspired to launder billions of dollars embezzled from 1MDB and conspired to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by paying bribes to authorities in Malaysia and Abu Dhabi.

- Bernama